Explorations in Pregnancy
by 4theLead
Summary: Troy and Gabriella are on the verge of parenthood. Join them in their final weeks as a family of two with a series of one-shots leading up to the labor and delivery of their twins. RATED MA WARNING: Themes of graphic pregnancy and childbirth. For mature readers only. This is a T/G story, but its also a exploration of the final stages of pregnancy and childbirth.
1. Chapter 1

Gabriella awoke to a tightening in her abdomen. It wasn't too painful, but there was a strengthening measure of discomfort. "Mmf.." she moaned softly, trying to kneed out the cramp in her belly with the palm of her hand. At 35 weeks pregnant with twins, Gabriella was the epitome of uncomfortable. Aside from the never-ending nausea that her OBGYN attributed to being pregnant with multiple babies, Gabriella had glided pretty smoothly into her third trimester. However, once month seven rolled in, pregnancy reared its ugly head. Gabriella's ankles and feet swelled up painfully, and her backaches were near constant. Her belly measured in the top 10 percentile for twins, and she was carrying it all in front of her, which put even more strain on her sensitive back.

Troy was the constant massage giver, rubbing her gingerly every chance he could. Rarely did he see her now-a-days without one or both hands bracing the small of her lower back, trying to relieve the pressure. He couldn't blame her. While head on it was difficult to tell, Gabriella's side profile told a different story. She was huge, and he couldn't deny it. Her belly stuck out near to a point she could barely wrap her arms around.

Palming the bare skin of her lower belly with pressure, Gabriella breathed out slowly; the pain was subsiding. Braxton-Hicks contractions had been riddling her body for the past couple of weeks, and while she knew they were just for "practice," each pang made her more anxious for the actual labor. She felt a huge shift beneath her hand – a baby rolling over – and sighed. It was 1am – witching hour. Like clockwork, Baby A had begun its shifting and kicking. As she struggled to raise her heavy body up by her elbows, Troy sharply inhaled from his sleep. Gabriella pursed her lips; she didn't like disturbing her husband's sleep. There was little he could do to ease her discomfort, and with his rigorous work-out schedule she knew he needed sleep almost as much as she did.

"Mmm," Troy grumbled, furrowing his brow and opening his eyes onto the darkness of his bedroom. He slightly shifted and turned to the body laying next to him. "Wha-times-it?" He voice was still heavy with sleep.

Gabriella was still working on perching her back up against her lumbar pillow. "Late," she responded breathlessly. "Go back to sleep."

Troy rubbed his eyes as his brain woke up. "You okay, baby?" He asked, now aware of the situation. It was one he was all too familiar with. His heavily pregnant wife had lost all ability to sleep more than a few hours at a time and it was affecting him, too. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he found her, and he quickly helped pull her up onto her pillows for support. Despite the lack of light, he could see the bags underneath her eyes and sighed. "How long have you been awake, Gab?"

Too tired to lie, Gabriella shrugged and rubbed the skin that was exposed from her too-small night shirt. "I don't even know. I've been on and off all night. I think I might have just gotten 15 minutes, but your little one just began her nightly tumbling class."

Troy sighed, and scooted closer to her, placing a hand on her belly so he could feel the movement. Like the nights before, he was met with the familiar rolling and poking into his palm. He rubbed his thumb over the spot a foot had just protruded. "Do you need the bucket?"

Gabriella often got sick during these hyper-movement spells. She nodded silently. Troy hopped out of bed and walked swiftly to the bathroom, retrieving the pail, which he placed on her nightstand. He bent down and kissed her forehead while she breathed deeply through her nose, and hurried to the kitchen to fetch her a glass of water.

"Thank you," Gabriella whispered when he returned with her drink. Troy rubbed her hair softly. "Can you try going back to sleep?" He asked.

Gabriella shrugged and took a refreshing gulp. "I'm too tired to do anything else."

Troy sighed and resumed his position on the bed. "Just try to relax, baby." He scooted closer to her and massaged her thigh underneath the blanket. "Can I do anything?"

Gabriella shook her head and took another deep breath, fighting back the nausea. She closed her eyes and rubbed her belly, reveling in her husband's scent and calming presence. "I think I'm having contractions," she said softly into the darkness. She felt Troy's body tense up.

"What? Really?" He gasped. His hand flew back to her belly and slid underneath the material of her shirt, as if he was trying to look for clarification.

She nodded again. "Nothing worth timing. They're not consistent or anything. But I'm definitely feeling things..I don't know how to describe it..like squeezing?"

"Well, _should_ we be timing them?" Troy asked. "Are they just Braxton-Hicks? You've been having those for weeks."

"First of all, don't refer to them as _just_ Braxton-Hicks, ever again," Gabi responded, rolling her eyes. She shifted in the bed, trying to get comfortable again. "And no, these feel different. It's not so painful, at least not yet, its more like pressure and tightening. But no, I wouldn't even know how to start timing them. I felt a couple just minutes apart after dinner; but then nothing until just a few minutes ago. Too sporadic."

Troy nodded and gulped. He palmed her bare belly. "Well, Dr. Ludaks said 'any day now,' after all."

"Hmpf..hopefully they know that," Gabriella replied, placing her hands in either side of her belly.

Troy chuckled quietly. "I'll cancel with Chad in the morning and stick around the house. This could be the beginning." He was referring to his daily training session with his best friend since childhood, Chad Danforth. Since Troy had been signed with the Lakers four years ago, he had hired his old teammate has his personal trainer during NBA off-season. Gabriella didn't like causing Troy to miss his work-outs, as they were vital for his continued on-court success; but she didn't rebut his offer. Her nerves were high regarding the impending birth of her first babies – especially since there were two. She wanted Troy to stay close by until then.

Her babies continued rolling around, but as Gabi felt the sick feeling slowly fade, she was able to find sleep again until morning.

–

The following day, Gabriella heaved her body out of bed and made her way to the master bathroom to shower. Few things eased her back pain like the hot water from her shower head and she was eager for that relief. She had felt Troy rise almost an hour prior and assumed he was making himself busy in the kitchen or nursery. She stripped her clothing and underwear and stepped in front her her full length mirror to inspect her changing form.

Gabriella's petite frame carried her two babies straight in front her her. Her tan orb of a belly was stretched to its max, and she had several marks to show for it. Her belly button stuck out to a point, as if to say, "all done!" Her aching breasts were swollen and getting bigger, as they sat properly atop her baby mound. Gabriella took note of the color and size of her nipples – once rosey-colored and small, they were now very dark and had doubled in size. She hadn't allowed Troy near her breasts in weeks. His fondling had become too painful. In fact, she'd had to cut off their physical relationship entirely. She was experiencing a lot of what her doctor referred to as "lightning pain" in her crotch. Sudden movements, sitting down, and physical contact sent sharp pains starting in her crotch all the way up her pelvis. Gabriella's eyes wandered down her body and she turned to her side to look at her profile. Her belly looked lower – she had definitely "dropped" over the last day or two. The pressure was causing her vagina to swell and change color, too. Everything south of her neck looked red, puffy, and angry. She sighed and tried to shake the self-deprecating thoughts out of her head and she waddled towards the shower.

With the water now running down her, Gabriella didn't notice the bathroom door open as Troy quietly sneaked in. He ogled his wife's naked form and quickly discarded his sweaty clothing, eager to join her in the steam. Their master bathroom shower was "open air," with only a wall of glass protecting the rest of the room from splashes. Troy swiftly walked into the shower area and slipped his arms around the back of Gabriella's body.

"How about a rub down?" He breathed into her ear, moving his arms up and down her sides in rough kneed.

Gabriella jumped a little at the intrusion, but she laughed and turned around. Water streamed down their bodies. "What are you doing?"

Troy grinned down at her. "Sorry. I didn't want to scare you. I just got a ride in on the Peloton. Thought I'd join you for a shower." He leaned into the cascading water and nipped Gabriella's nose playfully with his own. "Okay?"

Gabriella smirked at her husband and reached over to the shelf, grabbing the shampoo. She pressed the bottle onto Troy's sculpted chest. "Fine, then. Make yourself useful." She took a step closer, pressing her body as closely as she could into his torso. She rested her hands on the small of her back, relieving some of the discomfort and closed her eyes. Troy quickly obliged by shampooing and massaging Gabriella's scalp. When he was done, she leaned her head back into the water and gave a relaxed sigh.

Troy maintained the contact with his wife, pulling her body into his and she rinsed her hair.

"How are you feeling this morning? Any more contractions?"

Gabriella shook her head. "Nothing. Just lots of back pain..the usual."

Troy frowned. "Turn around."

She obliged. Troy began his routine back massage, hoping to grant her some comfort.

"Mmm, lower, Troy," Gabi breathed, as Troy's hands pressed firmly into her back. He moved lower.

"Lower," she requested, "hmf..lower"

"Baby, I'm on your ass."

Gabriella braced herself against the shower wall. "Well that's where the pain is now," she grunted. "Yeah, right there. Harder, please."

Troy continued kneeding into her tailbone. "That's pretty low," he said with a concerned tone. Gabriella only nodded in agreement. "I'm serious, Gabi. You're carrying really low now. If they're that far down, this is gonna happen soon. Don't you think?" She shrugged in response.

The water continued running down softly as the couple shared a few moments of silence. Troy maintained applying pressure onto his wife's lower body as she peacefully leaned into the wall, enjoying his hands.

Troy tabled his concern as they finished showering and toweling down; but, he stopped Gabriella before she began dressing.

"Hold on, Gab," he said softly. "I want to look at you." His eyes trailed down to her protruding abdomen.

Gabriella shot him a questioning look, but she dropped her bra and beckoned him over with her eyes. She watched him place his hands on her belly and press gently. Gabriella was grateful that they had been together for so long – she was completely comfortable with him inspecting her naked body, even in its current shape. They shared an intimacy that only came with time and trust. And the two of them had been together for nearly ten years, and had been physical for eight of them. Plus, they were each other's first and only sexual relationships.

"Does it hurt?" Troy asked, pressing into the soft portion of her upper belly.

"Mmm, not really." She responded.

His hands trailed down to her lower belly. He pressed. "It's so hard," he lamented.

Gabriella nodded and rubbed the lower region. "They're definitely lower. It's kind of crazy isn't it? How 'empty' is is up top now? And hard as a rock down below. They're really burrowing."

"No wonder your back is hurting," Troy responded. "All this weight...you've been so amazing Gabriella." He rubbed her belly in wonder for a few more moments before her breasts caught his eye and he took a step away from her. "God damn. You're really killing me."

Gabriella chuckled and raised a brow.

"You've never looked sexier," he explained, reaching for his clothes. "Like, seriously. Those things turn me on so much. It's killing me not to touch them. Or you."

"Ah," Gabriella laughed. "The definition of evil irony, I suppose. I finally get boobs and curves, but everything hurts to much for you to ravage." She paused. "It's hard for me, too." She soothed. "Pregnancy hormones are real – they don't care that my vagina has been on fire for a week, or that my breasts are so sensitive that I can barely wear a bra, let alone let my husband fondle them."

She tossed Troy her underwear. "Help?" She asked. She was unable to bend over to pull anything up.

Troy began sliding the black cotton panties up her legs. "I still want to try those perineum massages," he requested.

Gabriella sighed. Troy had been bringing up this "treatment" since her last doctor appointment. A recommendation from Dr. Ludaks as a way to prevent tearing during birth, Gabriella remained skeptical. She was fine with the idea, in theory. And she was definitely concerned with tearing. But she worried that if Troy spent too much time "down there," they would start something that she couldn't help finish. And if it wasn't pleasurable, would it be painful? She was already gearing up for enough of that during the birth.

Troy sensed her tension as he finished pulling up her panties. "I'm serious, Gab. Dr. Ludaks said it was an important part of childbirth prep. I'll keep it clean, no funny business. But if I can do anything to help you get through this birth naturally, I want to do it – cover all the bases, so to speak."

 _Naturally._ That word had been a source of contention between the two throughout Gabriella's pregnancy. From the day they found out, Gabriella had been adamant that she would give birth naturally, even originally hoping to do it at home or a doula center, as all the female's in her family lineage had done prior. When they got the news that she was expecting twins, she conceded to birthing at Cedar Sinai, where additional emergency care could be accessed, if needed – God forbid. But, still, sans pain medication. Troy had been incredibly uncomfortable with this idea – his wife in incredible pain, for potentially days as it was her first childbirth, was not something he was interested in living though. He spent the first two trimesters trying to convince her to create a more conventional birth plan, but when she entered her third, and most difficult trimester, Troy backed down. She convinced him that if she could get that far, she could make the decision of the birth plan, herself.

Deep down, she knew Troy was right about her perineum. She sighed. "Fine, Troy. Ludaks said we should do it after showering though, when the tissue is softest. If we're going to try it, let's do it now."

Caught off-guard at his wife's concession, Troy smiled and nodded eagerly. "Let's do it now," he echoed, pulling her underwear back down. He was hungry for any type of activity with Gabriella's naked body, even if it was business-only, nothing sexual.

He led them back into their bedroom and sat naked Gabriella onto her unmade sheets. "Hang here for a second baby, and get comfortable. I want to find that email from Dr. Ludaks with the instructions."

Gabriella leaned back and rolled her eyes. She spread her legs towards Troy and placed her hands on her belly. "You don't need a manual, Troy. You know what you're doing down there. Just loosen me up – _gently,"_ she emphasized.

Troy looked up from his phone and did a double take. It had been nearly a month since he'd been allowed access inside his wife, and seeing her laying there, spread eagle and asking for him to touch her, nearly knocked him over.

Gabriella recognized the glimmer in Troy's eyes as he laid them on her. "Watch it, babe. Don't get too excited or you'll have to jump back in the shower."

Troy smirked, and he quickly removed the space between them. He cupped her puffy crotch gently.

"Mmm," he whispered gruffly, "I miss you."

Gabriella winced, fearing more 'lightning crotch'. "Careful, Troy."

He nodded in understanding. He carefully rubbed his thumb in a circular motion around her opening, noting the heat coming off of her. She was hot to the touch; her body was preparing and he could feel it.

"Should I be stretching this?" He wondered out loud, as he continued shallowly fingering his wife.

She nodded, "I think so – ah!" _Lightning pain._ Her thighs tightened around Troy's arm.

He removed his hand immediately. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Gabi. Are you okay?"

Gabriella exhaled as the pain dissipated. "It's fine." She said reassuringly. She dropped her knees back down, beckoning Troy to return to her nether region. "It's not you. The babies are moving around again. Keep going."

Troy nodded. "Remember what Ludaks said. It might get uncomfortable but its a great time to practice your breathing. Now let me know if I do something that's too much." He resumed his ministration, stretching the hole from which his babies would soon emerge, and finding the delicate skin just south of it, massaging that tissue, as well. Several minutes later, Troy was uncomfortably hard.

"How does that feel, Gab? Stretched enough?"

"I suppose so," Gabriella responded, propping herself up on her elbows. "How do _you_ feel?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows at her husband's growing bulge.

Troy sighed as he felt heat rush to his face. "I'll be fine." He removed his fingers from his wife and slowly backed away, feeling satisfied with his work; but Gabriella pulled him back onto the bed.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" Troy whispered gruffly, as Gabriella struggled to position herself differently. She responded with a lustful look and tugged at his waistband.

"Gab, whoa, stop. You know I can't go there. Even the doctor recommended abstaining for now."

"You're not going _there_ ," she whispered back as she lowered her head to her husband's erection.

"Ahh..." Troy struggled to find a rebuttal as Gabriella slowly glided her tongue up and down his shaft.

"Relax, baby," she said softly. "I'm not doing anything I don't want to do. Now no arguing with the pregnant woman."

Troy chuckled under his breath and he rubbed a hand through her hair as she began her 'job.' " _How in the world did I get so lucky?"_ He wondered to himself, as he allowed himself to slowly relax under his wife's oral touch.


	2. Chapter 2

Days later, Gabriella was still contracting in sporadic, inconsequential bursts. It worried Troy, so he set up a doctor visit, for which they were due the following day. It was currently mid-afternoon and the couple had made their way out of a the bedroom after having spent most of the morning laying around and enjoying each other's company. Gabriella, now dressed in a black and white striped cotton dress was putting together some guacamole in the kitchen while Troy was starting the barbecue on the back patio. Chad and his new girlfriend, Amanda, were coming over for an early dinner, to Troy's delight. Gabriella and Troy had not yet met Amanda. Chad had been through a string of women since high-school, and Troy believed this was the first time he actually heard his best friend talking seriously about his relationship. He was eager to size this new girlfriend up.

Gabriella, on the other hand, was not looking forward to meeting her. Gabriella had been best friends with Chad's high-school girlfriend, Taylor McKessie, for years. Taylor lived in San Francisco and had a career that caused her to travel all over the world – it was hard for the two friends to connect these days. Regardless, Gabriella tried to maintain a sense of loyalty to Taylor, who had still not gotten over Chad, although she would never admit it. Gabriella loved the friendship her husband shared with Chad, and she loved Chad, too. But she harbored some resentment at the way he dated one woman after the next. Unlike her loyal and loving husband, she viewed Chad's behavior as that of a player, and she didn't respect it.

 _Earlier that day_

" _Aww, come on, Gabriella. I'm telling you – he's different with her. He doesn't talk about her like she's disposable. He actually talked to me about bringing her home for Christmas!"_

 _Gabriella rolled her eyes._

" _Well, I already invited him over. He's got to look at my shoulder anyway, and I want to go over Coach's new playbook with him."_

 _Glare._

" _I..I can tell him not to bring her. It's just, he sounded so excited about finally introducing her..Oh come on, it's Chad!"_

 _Gabriella sighed at her husband. "Fine," she yielded. "but I don't see why he has to keep bringing these floozies over. It'll be a different story when we have children in the house." She patted her belly._

" _Oh, come on baby," Troy laughed, sensing Gabriella had lightened up and was joking. He grabbed her arms and pulled her into his body. "It won't be bad." Gabriella shot him an unconvinced look._

" _Oh yeah?" she questioned. "Remember Tessa?"_

 _Troy cringed._

" _If it is, we can call it a night early. We've got a pretty good excuse right now." He grabbed her belly._

 _She laughed and shook her head. "All right..what time are they coming?"_

Troy was giddy – it had been a different kind of off-season with Gabriella's pregnancy, and he and his best friend rarely got to spend time together off the clock these days. Mostly, they spent time in training at the gym, or in Chad's PT office. Troy's free time, as of late, was monopolized with baby prep x2 at home and doctors visits.

He popped open a beer as he fiddled with his grill and readied the meat outside. Once his prep work was done, Troy headed back inside. Gabriella had just plated her famous home-made spicy guacamole – his favorite. He quickly went in for a sample around Gabi's shoulder, dipping his finger directly.

"Hey! God, Troy, at least use a chip," Gabriella scolded, swatting her husbands hand.

He chuckled and licked his finger, eager for a taste. Just as quickly though, he gagged.

"Gah! Gab! What the hell?" He fanned his lips and tongue.

"What?" Gabriella gasped, "what's wrong with it?" She quickly visually inspected the dip.

"That's fire, babe! Why is it so hot?"

Gabriella frowned and grabbed a chip and took a bite. Swallowing, she looked confused. "It's not! It's not even as spicy as I usually make it."

Troy shook his head. "Not all of us are pregnant Latinas, baby. That guac is out of control. You're going to have to cut it with another avocado if you want anyone else to be able to eat it." He took a gulp from his beer, his mouth still sizzling. He saw his wife's shoulder fall as her expression changed to one of disappointment, and he immediately felt bad.

"Hey," he leaned in a kissed her hard. "I'm a jerk. I'm sorry."

"Mmm, that tastes wonderful," Gabriella sighed, reveling in the lingering taste of beer on her husband's lips.

Troy laughed, and he gave her another quick peck before straightening back up. "No hard feelings. But your taste buds are a little out of whack right now. It's not your fault."

Gabriella pursed her lips. "No, that'd be _your_ fault," she joked. Just then, she felt another aching twinge in her lower back and side. Her hands immediately went to her hip bones to rub out the tension.

Troy saw the discomfort in her eyes and his fingers flew to her back. "More pain?" He questioned worriedly.

She nodded and bit her lip, waiting for it to pass.

Troy studied Gabriella's face, waiting for her her to speak. "You okay?" He brushed his knuckles against her cheek.

"Hoo.." She breathed out slowly, swaying slightly on her feet. Troy immediately steadies her in his strong arms. "I'm okay." she said. Her voice sounded small and scared. Troy's heart dropped for her. With her irregular contractions, he had seen a new side to his normally strong and confident wife – a scared version of her, and it broke his heart.

"Are you sure?" He asked slowly, wishing she would open her eyes so he could read them. He rubbed her arms up and down tenderly.

Gabriella blinked, recovering from the pang. "I'm fine, Troy. I promise. Just another contraction." She braced the small of her back with one arm and waved the other one, as if to assure Troy that she was okay.

Troy pursed his lips with uncertainty. "That was more intense than the other ones you've been getting. I wish Dr. Ludaks had been able to see us today."

Gabriella shrugged. "Nothing is picking up, Troy. They're still irregular. These two aren't going anywhere today." She palmed her burgeoning stomach and rubbed it.

"Hmm," Troy responded, not assured. His eyes focused down on her belly. "Can you say that with a little more confidence?"

Gabriella's tired eyes looked up sheepishly at her husband. "They're not going anywhere today. Hopefully nowhere for a little while longer. I want to get to at least 37 weeks."

Troy sighed. "You're in labor, Gabi. I know you don't want to admit it, but you are. You've been in labor for days now. Give up on that wish, because I think it's going to be sooner than that."

Gabriella bit her lip and she took Troy's hands in her own, rubbing them with her thumbs. "Hmm..maybe. But it's not _active_ labor. We'll see what Ludaks says in the morning." She stepped back and turned towards her failed guacamole. "Tonight," she continued, "I have a dip to fix."

"Oh Gab, let me call Chad. It was a stupid idea for me to invite people over. You don't feel good."

Gabriella shook her head quickly. "No no. Honestly, any distraction is welcome at this point."

Troy was about to rebut when his words were interrupted with the doorbell. His shoulders slumped. " _Damn it_ ," he thought to himself.

Gabriella turned her head towards the front hall. "Do you want to get that baby?" She requested, as she grabbed another avocado from her fruit bowl in an attempt to remedy her recipe.

Troy was already on his way to answer the door. Upon opening it stood Chad, with his large grin and infamous tendrils pulled back into a large ponytail. Standing next to that familiar sight was a petite blonde woman. She had a pale Scandinavian complexion and straight, almost white, chin length bob. She was dressed simply, in navy shorts and a white sleeveless blouse. She was clutching a bottle of wine.

"Hey, Hoops!" Chad exclaimed, extending his hand for a quick shake.

Troy tried to quickly clear his head, which was still very focused on his laboring wife.

"Yeah," he responded, obviously distracted, "hey, man." He forced a smile.

Chad, having known Troy since they were in diapers, immediately recognized his friend's distress.

"Is..everything okay?" He questioned slowly.

Troy swallowed his nerves and regained composure. "Yeah, yeah, man. Everything's fine." He glanced at his wrist, as if to be checking a watch. "You're just early...as usual when food is involved!" He hoped his joke covered his lingering nerves.

Chad chuckled and playfully punched him in the chest. "Yeah, right, man. Don't try and make me look bad in front of my girl." The men refocused their attention on the woman standing next to them. "Troy, meet my girlfriend, Amanda Danner. Amanda, meet my best and oldest friend, Troy Bolton."

Amanda smiled and extended hers into Troy's welcoming hand. "No introduction necessary, Chad," she laughed. Then looking at Troy, she added, "I'm a huge Lakers fan. It's so awesome meeting you." She spoke with a very strong Southern-California accent.

"The pleasure is all mine," Troy responded, smiling back. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name."

Chad grinned at this exchange. "So..Hoops. You going to invite us in to say hi to your better half, or are you going to leave us out here all day?"

Troy chuckled and rolled his eyes. He motioned them inside and the three made their way into the kitchen.

Hearing them entering, Gabriella quickly wiped her hands and spun around to greet them. Chad's jaw dropped when he saw her.

"Gabs! When did you get so big?!" He exclaimed. Troy immediately slapped him in the arm.

"Ow, dude," Chad responded. "Seriously, Gabriella, I saw you a few weeks ago. You've grown a third baby since then."

"Chad!" Exclaimed an appalled Amanda, who was not familiar with their dynamic.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and waddled over to Chad to give him semblance of a hug. "Oh, it's fine," she explained, "he's said much worse to me before."

Chad chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Seriously though, Gabs. You look beautiful. You're glowing."

Gabriella smiled up at her old friend; this was why she loved him – while he could be pompous and obnoxious, he was a sweetheart deep down. She then turned her attention to the other woman in the room.

"Hi there, I'm Gabriella," she introduced, reaching her hand out for a shake.

Amanda responded with an appreciative grin. "I'm Amanda. It's so nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you and Troy. Thanks for having us over tonight!" She reflexively held out the bottle of wine to Gabriella. "This is for you...Oh – uh, I mean..I'm sorry!" Her cheeks flushed.

Gabriella laughed and took the bottle. "Thank you, Amanda. I'd be happy to open it for you, but, sadly, I won't be able to partake."

Amanda gave Gabriella an apologetic smile. "No, please, don't open it. Maybe you and I can enjoy it in a couple of months," she said with a wink.

Gabriella chuckled. "Well let me know if you change your mind, I'm happy to open it tonight."

"Well, come in," Troy said, interrupting the obligatory pleasantries. He ushered the group into the large kitchen. "We've got the patio set up for dinner. I've got chicken and burgers so let me know what you want." He pointed to Gabriella. "Burger for you, baby?" She responded with a nod. "What does everyone else want?"

"I hope you're having chicken," Chad said, directed at Troy. "I may be off the clock but I'm still your trainer."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah..no worries, Sir."

"Atta, boy," Chad responded. "I'll take a burger, myself." He patted his stomach, "ah, better make it 2 for me." He squeezed Amanda's side.

"Chicken, please," she answered. "Can I help with anything?"

Gabriella shook her head as Troy made his way out to the grill. "No, we're keeping it pretty low key, tonight. I hope that's okay. It's about all I have the energy for right now." She grabbed the platter of appetizers she had prepared and went on, "drinks are inside. Glasses are at the bar. Help yourself to anything. Chad can show you where everything is."

Chad nodded, reaching over the platter and grabbing a carrot stick. "The bar is over here, babe," he directed Amanda.

Gabriella smiled and headed outside to put the food down on the dinner table.

"She seems nice," Troy said quietly, as Gabriella brushed past him with the apps. He flipped a burger and glanced inside at Chad and Amanda fixing beverages.

Gabriella set the food down and walked up behind her husband, giving his sides a squeeze. "We'll see," she said with a shrug.

–

"So, I've heard Chad's version, but how do you all know each other?" Amanda asked. Troy had just served the food and they were now all sitting down for dinner.

Having just taken his first bite of grilled chicken, Troy held up a finger and chewed quickly. Gabriella chuckled at her husband's enthusiasm as she passed the tossed salad to Chad. She patiently waited for her husband to answer – he loved telling this story.

Troy wiped his mouth with his napkin. "We'll," he began, "I'd love to hear what Chad told you, because _I_ am the one with the accurate story." They all laughed and Chad shook his head, allowing his friend to continue. "Chad and I were actually nannied together when we were babies. We were two months apart and our moms knew each other from the neighborhood. So we literally grew up from diapers at each other's houses."

Chad chuckled and nodded, "Nanny Jackie! I think I actually forgot that detail. When both of our moms went back to work we would get dropped off at Nanny Jackie's. Until we were what..three for four?"

Troy shrugged and continued, "until we started preschool, I guess? And then in the fourth grade, my family moved to a different neighborhood, and we switched school districts, but we stayed in the same intramural conference for basketball. So, that following winter, when intramural started up, we had a game against each other and saw each other for the first time since I moved, Chad was a JERK to me!" Troy laughed and continued, despite Chad's eye roll. "He claimed it was MY fault that my family had moved, and that I'd done it on purpose because he was better than me and I wanted to be the best player...I'm talking serious accusations from a 4th grader."

Amanda chuckled at Troy's story. "Wow, sounds like a poor sport," she joked, and then requested that Troy continue.

"Yeah, well, my team ended up smoking his...but I took a bad foul and had the wind knocked out of me." He paused for another bite of his food. "Anyway," Troy continued, "I landed straight down on the floor, and when I opened my eyes, there was a hand there waiting to help me up. Guess who?" He pointed towards Chad.

Chad pointed back, "always got your back, brother!"

Troy chuckled and nodded. "He pulled me up, and we completely forgot about the score or fight. We ended up hanging out after school again. After that, our dads, who were coaches, made sure we played on the same district team the next year."

"Dream team!" Chad interjected.

Troy nodded. "Well, long story short, we ended up at the same junior high, and the rest is history."

Amanda smiled. "I think I know the rest." She rubbed Chad's leg beneath the table. "Well, he might not have gone into such detail about your intramural days, but Chad has always spoken very highly of you. And what about you Gabriella? Were you there for the infamous fourth grade gym fight?"

Gabriella swallowed her bite of salad and shook her head. "Oh no, I didn't meet either of them until we were sixteen."

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "Now, I didn't know that," she responded curiously.

"Now _this_ is a story," Chad interjected excitedly. He turned towards his girlfriend. "Have I ever mentioned that Troy Bolton used to have a career in the theat-ahh!" He raised his arms dramatically, echoing the pronunciation of their old teacher, Ms. Darbus.

Troy buried his head. "Come on, Chad! Don't get all Darbus on us."

Gabriella giggled. "It's not t _hat_ dramatic, Amanda, I promise. But it is a crazy story." She rubbed Troy's back and looked up at him. "Our junior year of high-school," she began, glancing back at Amanda, "both of our families took trips to a ski lodge in Park City over Christmas break." She paused and scratched Troy's back, smiling – this was the part of the story that _she_ liked to tell. "I was living in Oceanside, California with my mom but we were relocating for her job at the beginning of the semester to Albuquerque. Troy and I met on New Year's Eve at the teen party at the lodge. We sang karaoke together, if you can believe it."

Gabriella tried to continue, but another pain hit her belly. She drew a sharp breath and had to pause.

Concern washed over Troy, as he recognized another contraction was hitting her. But to save face, he continued telling the story while she rode it out.

"It was a magical night. I think I fell in love with her right there at age seventeen, honestly." He began applying pressure to her lower back with his fingers before continuing. "So then, I think it was the following Monday? Or maybe the following week..anyway, not important..I show up at school for second semester and there's Gabriella, the new girl in our home room." He looked down at Gabriella and gave her a soft smile. His eyes were questioning her, but he didn't vocalize it in front of their friends.

Gabriella softly let her breath out and she continued, although Troy could hear a strain in her voice. "I guess the rest is history. Chad will fill you in on the musical we did together, I'm sure, but I'll keep it brief for you, Amanda."

Amanda smiled, "Wow, okay! Chad never told me that. How crazy that you met before you actually 'met' in school! And you always dated?"

They both nodded and Troy spoke. "Pretty much." He continued rubbing her back. "We've been together for ten years now."

"And now look at you guys," Amanda said enthusiastically, clearly impressed with their saga. "Chad tells me you're expecting twins? Girls?"

"That's right," Troy responded, beaming. He rubbed Gabriella's belly. "Another funny story. We didn't know about the second one until Gabi's five-month check up."

"Wow, how did that happen?" Amanda asked.

Gabriella shrugged. "They said the second baby was just hiding up until then. But I honestly wasn't surprised when we got the twin news. I was always measuring bigger than normal, and I've had worse than normal morning sickness the whole pregnancy. It was the surprise of a lifetime." Troy nodded in agreement and planted a kiss on his wife's temple

Chad smiled. He had never seen his best friend happier than when he announced he and Gabriella were having a baby, until the day, months later, he announced they were having _two_ babies.

"When are you due?" Questioned Amanda.

Gabriella stayed silent for a moment, squeezing Troy's thigh. He placed his arm around her and smiled down at her. "Any day now," he responded confidently.

"Wait, what?" Chad exclaimed, "I thought you had almost another month?!"

"We think it'll be a lot sooner than that," Troy said. "The technical due date – the due date we told everyone, is 40 weeks. But twins don't usually go to 40 and-"

"You're in labor right now aren't you?" Amanda interrupted, staring intently at Gabriella. Both Gabi and Troy turned to her with questioning looks.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Amanda said bashfully. "I shouldn't have said anything."

Everyone sat quietly for a moment. Chad scratched his head in confusion.

"How could you tell?" Gabriella finally asked.

"Oh, um, uh well I assumed Chad mentioned...I'm an Labor and Delivery nurse at Good Samaritan." She paused. "Gosh, I'm sorry, Gabriella. I shouldn't have spouted that out. I just noticed the way you were carrying as soon as we walked in. You've got a baby in your pelvis!"

Gabriella blushed. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"You just look very engaged. In how low you are, and in your gait. It's just an observation. I really shouldn't have said anything," Amanda responded, clearly embarrassed.

Gabriella sighed and she rubbed her back. "I've been having contractions for the past couple of days," she admitted. "Nothing regular," she clarified, "but yeah, we're starting to think that labor has begun."

Amanda nodded quickly. "It's normal for first time moms...to labor inconsistently for days. Where are you giving birth? Cedar?"

Gabriella and Troy nodded.

"Who is your doctor?"

"Jan Ludaks"

"Oh wow! I know Ludaks – well, I know _of_ her at least! I've attended a handful of her symposiums. She's impossible to get – I heard she turned down the Kardashians. How in the world-" Amanda paused, then shook her head. "And there goes my foot in my mouth, again. I forgot I'm sitting here with a Laker." She chuckled.

Gabriella laughed too. "You would think that's it, but no. We got very, very lucky with her. I mentioned my mom and I lived here in SoCal, before. My mom works in medical equipment sales, so she has known Ludaks for years, going all the way back to when I was 15, or so. She was our connection."

"Wow, well, congratulations. She is truly the best in the business." Amanda paused, looking unsure before continuing. "If you don't mind a little unsolicited advice – If you haven't already, I'd check in with her about those contractions. It's just that with twins, things can be less black and white."

"Thank you! I've been trying to tell her-" Troy exclaimed, happy for some confirmation to his concerns.  
"We're going tomorrow afternoon," Gabriella interrupted her husband, placing her hand on his, trying to calm him down.

Chad suddenly spoke. "Wait a minute! You're telling me that we've been here for two hours, eating and drinking and all casual, and this whole time Gabi's been in labor?" There was panic in his voice as he turned to his girlfriend.

"Chad, Chad.." Amanda placed her hands on her boyfriend's face. "Breathe, Chad." He took sharp inhales and exhales. Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Chad." He breathing regulated.

Amanda turned back to the expectant couple. "I'm sorry. I hope I'm not overstepping."

Gabriella shook her head, "of course not! It's completely fine. Chad has a tendency to..overreact."

Troy nodded in agreement. "Honestly, we appreciate the input. Chad mentioned you were a nurse, I guess I never asked about the specifics." He knew Gabriella was looking for distractions so to change the subject, he quickly quipped, "So are you from California originally, Amanda?"

She nodded, "LA, born and raised, valley side. I'm a rarity," she grinned with pride. "And I've just got to say this or my dad will disown me – Troy, what you've done with the team the last few years is nothing short of extraordinary. I mean it. My dad and I have been watching Lakers games since I was born. We've never seen such on court symmetry."

Troy grinned, "wow, you really are a fan! Thanks, really. It's all Coach Rhubusky."

Amanda nodded in agreement. "What a legend!" She exclaimed, "I know my opinion is with the minority, but releasing Spurlock last season was such a bold and genius move..." With that, she launched into ramble about the past season's other trades and game highlights.

Gabriella saw that basketball talk was beginning. She was used to it – the Lakers had been the hot team for several years now and whenever a die-hard fan grabbed Troy's ear, he was just as eager to talk shop. She smiled at his enthusiasm and excused herself to use the bathroom, as she usually did as a way to escape the sports chatter – she loved watching her husband play, but little else about the game interested her.

Chad saw this as an opportunity to let Troy get to know Amanda more, and began clearing the table into the kitchen.

He was scrubbing dishes at the sink and loading the dishwasher when Gabriella waddled back into the room. "Oh Chad, you don't have to do that," she said breathlessly.

Chad rolled his eyes and continued with the plates. "Sweetheart, go sit back down. I'm happy to clean up, please."

"Fine," she huffed. "Thank you." She stayed standing though, and leaned up against the counter opposite from Chad. After a silent pause, Gabriella spoke. "She seems pretty great, Chad." He looked up at smiled at Gabriella.

"She is." He agreed.

"And Troy says you're pretty serious about her?"

He nodded.

"Well, then, if you want _my_ unsolicited advice, stick with this one."

Chad scoffed, still scouring the grease off of a platter. He didn't respond.

"I'm serious, Chad," Gabriella continued. "I've got to hand it to you. You finally found a good one. And I don't want to see you lose out on something great because you get scared and run on to the next one – like you always do."

Chad sighed and dropped the dishes in the the soapy water. "I hear you, Gabi. That's not going to happen this time."

She raised an eyebrow, appearing unconvinced.

"I'm serious," he continued, wanting to assure his old friend. "Things with her, they _feel_ different. Maybe you can't understand. You and Troy got lucky. You found each other before you ever even had to start looking. All those other girls, I think I was always moving on so quickly to the next because I was desperate to find something even _close_ to what I've always seen you and Troy have. I know its only been a couple of months with Amanda, but I think she might be the one."

Gabriella smiled. She'd never heard Chad say anything like that – now she understood Troy's eagerness to meet Amanda. "Wow," she responded. She heaved her weight off the counter and gave Chad a hug. "I'm really happy for you, then."

Chad returned the embrace and kissed Gabriella's forehead. "Thanks, sweetheart. Now you go back outside and let me finish up in here." Gabriella opened her mouth to argue but Chad quickly shushed her. "I'm serious, Gabriella. Go get off your feet. I really want you to get to know her, go back outside." Gabriella closed her mouth in defeat and headed to the backyard to join Troy and Amanda, who were wrapping up their Lakers discussion.

The four friends spent the rest of the evening sipping drinks and chatting about life before Chad announced it was Gabriella's bedtime and the two of them left, exchanging friendly hugs with their friends as they departed. Gabriella's pains had subsided for the night, and she and Troy went to bed confident about their appointment the following morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Gabriella laid uncomfortably on the examination table with a paper blanket covering her naked lower half. A technician had just finished up with an ultrasound and Gabriella was prepped for her internal exam.

"Okay, Gabriella, you're going to feel some pressure. Just breathe through it. Good practice for the real thing," Dr. Ludaks advised her.

Gabriella nodded and tightened her grip on Troy's hand as she dropped her knees down, allowing the doctor to begin her examination.

Troy was studying the monitor that was hooked up to Gabriella's bare belly. It showed him his daughters' heart rates, and he was fixated on the steady ups and downs on the screen.

Gabriella let out an audible, "Hooooo..." as she felt Dr. Ludaks enter her canal with her hand. The sound snapped Troy's attention back to his wife. He kissed her hand and rubbed her hair.

With one hand examining Gabriella internally, Dr. Ludaks began gently pressing on Gabriella's belly with the other. Her face showed no emotion. Gabriella tried to relax and close her eyes while she was being poked and prodded from the inside, out. Though it was very uncomfortable, she was getting used to laying with her womanhood on complete display as she approached her due date. She half-hoped this would be her last appointment before checking into the hospital. She felt ripe and ready, depsite her due date.

She inhaled deeply through her nose and let out another strong, "hoooo..." as Dr. Ludaks pressed on.

Several minutes later, Dr. Ludaks finally spoke. "Okay, honey, you can put your legs down now." She removed her gloves and disposed of them before continuing with her assessment. Gabriella gratefully dropped her legs into a more comfortable position.

"Well, Gabriella, Baby A is close to full engagement." She grabbed a 3D-model of a woman's anatomy from her shelf and demonstrated with her hand. "This means, her head is sitting right here, just passed your pelvis bone. It explains the "bowling ball between your legs" sensations you've been describing. It's a great place for her to be seeing as she's head down."

Gabriella nodded. "Okay, that's good."

Dr. Ludaks continued. "Ideally, she would be face down, facing your back. But it looks she she is going engage in a posterior position. This position typically creates a longer pre-labor." She twisted her fist in the model. "Right now, she's 'sunny-side up.' You've had a lot of back pain, yes? This is because the baby's skull is on your tailbone right now. This position is not too much of a concern for baby as it is for mommy."

Troy and Gabriella exchanged worried looks. "So what does that mean?" Troy asked quicky.

"It's a slower, more difficult labor, in general. It takes more work for baby to move through the birth canal in that position."

"Can you flip her around?" Troy questioned, again, with concern filling his voice.

"Technically, yes. We can't guarantee success, but there are maneuvers we can perform to try to turn the baby. However, it's painful and dangerous for both the baby and mom. What I can recommend are some exercises you can do at home, Gabriella."

Gabriella nodded eagerly, "I'll do anything."

"Do you have a swimming pool?"

Gabi nodded.

"Laps in the pool can help. Any stroke with your belly down. You can also try crawling on the ground for ten minutes at a time – nothing too physical, listen to your body."

Troy and Gabriella made mental notes as Dr. Ludaks continued.

"Rocking on your hands and knees can also help encourage rotation, and it's been said this position helps relieve back pain from posterior babies...Um, let's see, what else..I've got a pamphlet on acupuncture I can give you, but I'd say that method is the least medically proven."

"And what about Baby B?" Gabriella questioned, "how is she presenting?"

Dr. Ludaks pursed her lips. "Baby B is laying bottom down right now. But this is less concerning. There's not much room in there for her to flip. Typically, when the first baby is delivered, there is a suction like pull, combined with more wide open spaces, that allows the second baby the flip into a head-down postion before engagement. It all happens quite quickly during the birth."

Troy slumped his shoulders and sighed. His concern for his wife was growing exponentially.

Dr. Ludaks was trained to deal with this. "Troy, the good news is we've got a baby coming out head first. Focus on that. It'd be much for complicated if the first baby was presenting breech. Its incredibly difficult to flip breech babies when there is more than one in there."

"And everything else looks okay?" Gabriella asked nervously.

Dr Ludaks nodded. "You're full term and everything looks great, Gabriella. Both babies are measuring well – I'd say between 5-6 lbs, which is excellent for multiples. Lungs are fully developed and both sets of vitals measure strong. You've grown two big, healthy babies," she smiled.

Both Troy and Gabriella let out audible sighs of relief. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's head.

"So would you say active labor could be any time now?" Gabriella asked anxiously.

Dr. Ludaks grabbed a sheet of paper that was being fed out of one of Gabriella's belly monitors. "Well, mommy, you've had two real contractions in the 45 minutes you've been here. I know they've been coming and going the last couple of days, but I'd like you to start timing them. Head to the hospital when you've reached 5:1:1. That means contractions are coming regularly 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour. Or if your water breaks."

"And when will that be?" Gabriella asked again tiredly, not feeling like her question had been answered.

Dr. Ludaks sighed. "I wish I could tell you. It could be later today, it could be a couple more days. First babies are tricky, especially posterior babies. I know you must be uncomfortable and ready to get it over with."

Gabriella sighed. "As long as their healthy, I can hang in there."

"I'm going to give you a list of tried and true induction techniques. I'd be happy to give you a membrane sweep right now, but I know you want to go about this as naturally as possible."

Gabriella quickly shook her head, "Correct, no thank you. Not today at least. But we'll definitely take that list of tips for inducing naturally."

"Great," Dr. Ludaks said with a smile. She stood up from her examination chair. "Any more questions for me before I let you get dressed and go?" The couple shook their heads.

"Great," Dr. Ludaks responded. "Gabriella, I hope the next time I see you will be at the hospital. But if not, I'll see you same time next week. I'll have that list and paperwork waiting for you at the desk when you check out." She shook their hands and they thanked her before she left them.

Troy helped Gabriella sit up and retrieved her underwear and soft denim overalls from where she had discarded them before the examination. He quickly helped her get dressed and they headed out.

–

Gabriella was quiet as they left, Troy noticed. He glanced over as he pulled out of the doctor's office and saw her nervously chewing her bottom lip while perusing the pamphlet Dr. Ludaks had left for them.

"How are you feeling, Gab?" He asked, breaking the silence.

She shrugged, and pressed softly into her belly. "Baby's kicking," she said quietly, continuing her reading.

With his eyes on the road and one hand firmly at the wheel, Troy reached over and placed his right hand on Gabriella's belly, relishing at the movement underneath it. "I'll see you soon, little one," he smiled.

Gabriella sighed. "It'd better be soon. Honestly, Troy, I'm trying to keep it together right now, but I can't do _days_ more of this." Her voice cracked. Troy looked over at her quickly and saw tears in her eyes. His heart dropped for her. He hadn't seen her break like this before. He quickly pulled over to the side of the road so he could properly comfort his wife.

"Hey, Gabs. Baby, it's okay. You're almost done." He whispered. He reached up and wiped a single tear away.

Gabriella took a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I know. I'm just so tired, that's all."

Troy furrowed his brows. "Babe, it's okay to be feeling this way. You don't have to be so strong." She stayed silent, looking into her husband's comforting gaze.

"This is the last of it though. I promise, you can do it. And anything I can do to help make you more comfortable, just let me know." Troy rubbed his thumb over her wet cheek. "You're a warrior woman," he chuckled, bringing his hand back down to her belly. "I can't believe the strength you've had these last nine months."

Gabi smiled. "I'm fine," she sighed, wiping away the last of her exhaustion tears. "I just really want this to end. It's hard enough just being _this_ pregnant," she rubbed her swollen belly. "But now there's all this added pressure and painful contractions. I'm just frustrated. If I'm going into labor, I just want it to actually begin so it's not all for nothing right now." She suddenly arched her back and grabbed her lower belly. "Unghh..another one," she moaned.

Troy's heart screamed silently, " _give her a break!_ " He knew he had to be the strong one now; so he quickly shifted into supportive husband mode. Slipping his hand behind her, he began forcefully needing into her tailbone. He massaged her thigh with his other hand, grateful he had pulled over.

"Deep breaths," he coached her. "In...and out..." Gabriella followed his breath while she road out the contraction.

"Mmmm..hooo..." She breathed, about thirty seconds later (according to Troy's counting in his head). "It's over."

"That was a good one," Troy offered, taking note of the time. "Ludaks said to start timing them. That was what, about a half hour since the last one you had in her office?" He added a hopeful note in his tone.

"That sounds about right." Gabriella agreed, "Maybe 40 minutes."

Troy grinned and opened up the app he had downloaded for Gabriella's labor. "We'll call it 35 minutes," he said cheerfully. "You're getting there, baby, see? And I'll clock it at about 30 seconds long. We'll be on our way to the hospital in no time."

"God, I hope," she responded. "Let's go home."

Troy pulled back out and continued their ride back to their house. "So what's on that list?" He asked. "Anything look interesting to you?"

Gabriella picked the pamphlet back up and began reading down its contents.

"Exercise – we could go on a walk today?"

Troy nodded in agreement. "Check, what else?"

"Sex. Nipple stimulation. You're window of opportunity might have just opened today, baby," she said, playfully.

"Don't even joke with me, Gabriella," Troy responded.

"Oh, I'm not." She said seriously, "I'm desperate."

"God damn," Troy said under his breath, "let's get you home and undressed right now."

"Cool it for a second. Spicy food."

"Huh?"

"Spicy food is on the list. The Palisades Farmers Market is still open. Can we stop there and pick up some of that curry I like?"

Troy growled. "You're trying to kill me."

Gabriella laughed. "I'm serious. I'm starving and it's right on the way home. We can pick up some fresh flowers for the guest rooms, too. Your parents will probably want to fly in tomorrow or the next day if things progress."

Troy sighed, but knew he wasn't going to fight her. "Fine."

"Feed me first, and I'll let you have your way with me after," Gabriella promised.

Troy grinned and licked his lips, suddenly having a much more positive outlook on the day.

–

Ten minutes later they were parked at walking inside their local farmer's market. It was an activity they used to enjoy often when Troy wasn't on the road, but they hadn't been in a couple months. Troy linked his hand into Gabriella's as they sauntered through the tents of local produce, handmade soaps, and livestock co-ops.

Even with his baseball hat and sunglasses, Troy felt people staring in their direction. He and Gabriella had started avoiding places like this after Troy had been named _People Magazine's Sexiest Man of the Year_ a few months back. It was a title Troy neither wanted, nor cared about. Not that he wasn't appreciative, but he had chosen to be a professional basketball player, NOT a celebrity. And while he had always had his fair share of female attention since signing with the Lakers, this newly bestowed title had thrust him into a new kind of fame. Everyone, not just basketball fans, recognized him now. His agent fielded calls daily about Troy participating in movies, reality shows, and endorsement deals. He politely declined them all, save for a few strategic endorsement deals that aligned with his NBA career.

Troy did his best to navigate his newfound celebrity, and he had been doing so with grace, for the most part. But today, the public attention was making him nervous, as he had his laboring wife in-tow.

"Come on, Gab, I think the curry tent was in that corner last time we were here," he said, weaving them through the crowd. Unfortunately, Gabi could only move so fast. Troy immediately noticed out of the corner of his eye a young couple approaching them. He kept his eyes down and pulled Gabriella a little closer and they continued pacing through vendors. But the couple, walking with more hast than Troy and Gabriella were physically capable of at that moment caught them in their tracks.

"Oh my god!" The young woman squealed. "Are you Troy Bolton? I'm your biggest fan!"

Troy sighed, searching for patience as he looked up at the woman standing between him and the curry stand.

"Hi," he said politely. "Thank you. Thanks, that's really nice." He felt Gabriella tighten her grasp on his hand.

The young man and woman didn't move along.

"Excuse us," Troy said quietly, trying to get around them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The young woman squealed again. "I just can't believe I'm seeing you in person. I seriously am your biggest fan. And so is my boyfriend. This is Jake. He is the BIGGEST LA Kings fan."

Troy raised an eyebrow. "That's great," he said, maintaining his politeness. He noticed the boyfriend had his phone out, likely recording the interaction.

The boyfriend interjected. "Oh my god, babe. You said Kings. That's a completely different sport. This dude is a Laker. Hey, Troy, real honor. Can you smile for my snapchat?"

Troy's patience was waning as he and Gabriella took another step around the obnoxious couple.

"Nah, man. Not today." He quickly guided Gabriella around them, but others were now noticing the presence of of the _Sexiest Man of the Year_ , and his pregnant wife. No one else was approaching them, but he saw lots of cellphones being pulled out of pockets and aimed in their direction.

"You go back to the car, Gab. I'll go get the food." He placed the keys in her hand and turned in the direction of the car. Gabriella didn't argue; she saw in his eyes that he was serious. And in truth, she didn't want to have to waddle to the far corner of the farmer's market and back with all of that attention. She preferred to stay out of her husband's spotlight.

Feeling uncomfortable now, she hurried back to their parking spot as quickly as she could, grateful they hadn't walked too far into the crowd before she was forced to retreat. Troy stood his ground, watching her until he saw her safely in the car. Luckily, the attention stayed on him after she left.

Once he could, he jogged swiftly over to their trusty curry hut, collected his order, and hurried back to the car. Gabriella was sitting in the passenger seat, eyes closed, when he knocked on the window for her to unlock it. She jumped at the sound, but smiled and leaned over to open the door.

"I need to get out of here," Troy said, exasperatedly. He handed the bag of food over to Gabriella. "you tired?"

She nodded, "I almost fell asleep just now."

"Well let's get you home and in bed. We can heat up the food after you take a nap."

Gabriella yawned in agreement as she gazed out the window. A black van whizzed by them, catching Gabriella's eye.

"Oh, god, they move quickly!" She said in disgust.

Troy looked over, confused. Another black van past them, driving towards the farmer's market.

Paparazzi.

He shook his head as he continued their drive home. "Not fast enough for us," he said with a chuckle.

Gabriella sighed. "Everyone really needs to get over you. You're not _that_ special," she joked.

"Amen," Troy responded, in agreement.

Gabriella looked sympathetically at her husband. "It'll die down soon," she comforted. She rubbed the back of his hand which was resting on her leg. She knew he didn't like the attention. On the court, it was different. He was comfortable receiving the applause of fans, the questions from reporters, and the flashing lights from cameras when he was a _Laker,_ but when he was just out as Troy Bolton, and especially when he was out with Gabriella, it was very much unwanted.

–

Once they were home, Troy helped situation Gabi's pillows on the bed and she soon fell asleep. He knew her slumber would only last as long as her bladder allowed, but any sleep was better than none. He took this opportunity to head into their nursery and go over his checklist, one more time. Everything had been done for weeks, and the room was ready for its tiny residents to move in; but it was a source of comfort to him to go down the list again, mentally checking the boxes.

The nursery was painted a soft greige color, and delicate white linens decorated the windows and cribs. Troy smiled softly as he stepped into his daughters' first bedroom. He was proud of it. Gabriella had thoughtfully curated the perfect baby room, he thought. Everything from the neutral colors, to the plush blankets and cushy glider chair, was comforting and warm – perfect for new babies. Two identical white cribs stood side-by-side on the far wall. A bookshelf that Troy had used as a child stood opposite them, filled with what Troy believed to be every baby book in current circulation, and then some. He chuckled at the collection – built mostly by his enthusiastic mother. A thick white rug, woven from Merino wool brought a dreaminess to the room. Troy was so excited to fill it with his two baby girls. And after today's appointment, he knew he had one last box to check.

In another corner of the room stood a twin co-sleeper bassinet, all assembled and ready to go, but out of place. It belonged in his and Gabriella's bedroom, where it would serve as the babies' beds for the indefinite future. With their birth being sooner than not, Troy lifted it from its place of storage and quietly carried it to the master bedroom. Check.

–

Back in the kitchen, Troy was heating up the curry in a saucepan when Gabriella sauntered in. She had changed into some cotton drawstring shorts, and tank top that covered most of her low-hanging belly, and a light cotton robe. Her dark ringlets were pulled up in a loose ponytail.

"Mmm, that smells amazing," she commented, rubbing Troy's back and kissing his shoulder blade.

Troy turned his attention away from the stove top and smiled, "Hi, Sleeping Beauty. Nice nap?"

Gabriella nodded. "A solid hour and a half. I'll take it!"

"Any pains?"

"No. Just the constant ache in my back."

"The food will be ready in ten. Why don't you try some of those exercises until then?"

Gabriella shook her head. "I just squatted and leaned over the bed for ten minutes. My legs are shot now."

Troy looked up again, pleased. "Did you feel any movement?"

Gabriella frowned. "I don't think so," she sighed. "Maybe I'll get in the pool later. Although I don't know if I have a bathing suit that will fit right now."

"Go naked," Troy offered with a chuckle.

Gabriella laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, right." Bracing her lower back, she closed her eyes and started swaying. "Mmmm, Oooohh..." She moaned lowly. She took a slow step towards the counter and leaned forward onto her elbows, continuing to rock her hips. "Oooh...ooooh," she breathed.

Troy dropped the sauce spoon into the pan and slammed his thumbs into the now very familiar spot on her lower back, making small circles. His fingers braced her hips. He patiently rubbed her until her hips stopped swaying and her breathing quieted.

With one last, "Hoo..." Gabriella straightened up. "That one was really painful."

"Is it all in your tailbone?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head. "No, but that's where it's worst. It kind of wraps around my whole belly, and moves down." She was still catching her breath.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wish there was something I could do."

Gabriella pursed her lips, looking intently at her husband. "Turn the stove off." She suddenly instructed him.

"You're not hungry?" Troy questioned. Gabriella's demeanor had changed, and he couldn't figure out what was behind that mysterious look in her eyes.

Gabriella shook her head, her black curls spilling out of her ponytail.

"I want you to fuck me. I want you to fuck these babies out of me right here. Right now."

Troy raised a brow at his wife's sudden request.

He coughed, clearing his head, and took a step towards her. She looked anxious and impatient.

"What was that?" He asked.

"You heard me." She responded, rubbing her aching back. "I've got a job I need you to do."

"I'm going to need you to repeat it." He said huskily, taking another small step towards her.

"Troy," she whimpered. "Please. I'm not playing games with you right now. This is strictly business, I need this labor to pick up."

He was now close enough that he could see the desperation in her eyes and he felt for her. He closed the space between them with one final step and kissed her hard. "Whatever you need, baby," he whispered, caressing her ear with his tongue. "You sure you want to do it right here?" He glanced around their kitchen.

"It's not like we haven't done it in here before," she breathed.

"What do you want," he whispered, hard as a rock.

Gabriella smiled and nipped his lip before turning around and leaning over the counter again, surprised at how this position really did relieve a lot of back pressure.

Wordlessly, Troy quickly came up from behind her and slid her shorts and underwear down to the floor. He kicked her right leg open, causing Gabriella to gasp in delight, and ran his hands up and down her torso.

Troy grabbed her – one arm gripping her shoulder and the other, clutching her belly. He was getting ready to take her from behind before pausing. Leaning down, he kissed her neck and sucked her ear before questioning, "is this going to hurt you?"

Gabriella sighed. "Just go slowly. At least at first." He nodded, although she couldn't see him.

Unable to bear it any longer, Troy began thrusting deep, smooth motions into his wife. She whimpered at first, but soon matched his movements. He could barely contain himself, as he hadn't been allowed in her in more time than since they'd lost their virginity to each other.

"Troy," Gabi panted, "that's good, go a little harder."

"That's good, baby? You like that?" He responded. "I'm gonna cum so fast, Gabi. Are you there with me?" He continued pounding into her. She didn't respond, but instead grabbed a piece of mail that was close to her fist and crumpled it in her hand. "Just keep going," she whimpered.

"What do you need?" He breathed. All the while, he kept reminding himself to keep his hands off her breasts, which he desperately wanted to grab.

"Don't worry about me, just make sure when you cum, you're deep."

This answer didn't sit well with Troy. He was desperate to satisfy her, despite her discomfort. Instead of allowing himself to finish, Troy reached down and around Gabriella's massive belly and found the sensitive knob that sat atop her swollen folds. He knew his wife, and if anything was going to bring her to orgasm, it was going to be a few swift flicks of her clitoris – a move that always worked on her.

"Troy!" Gabriella cried out in pleasure. Troy grinned to himself and continued pumping into her, his fingers working their magic, once again.

"That's it, baby," he hummed.

Gabriella felt a sweet and surprising release of pleasure, despite her throbbing sensitive mound.

"Oh, god, Troy," she breathed, collapsing onto her forearms. She felt him drive into her several more times before he paused and burrowed himself deep within her. He grunted, and she knew he was cumming. She stood still, breathless and shockingly satisfied. Troy stayed inside of Gabriella while he caught his breath. He felt incredible; so grateful for the chance to make love to his wife after weeks of drought.

He leaned down and pressed his lips between Gabriella's shoulder blades. "Thank you, Gabriella," he said softly.

The stood there for a few more moments, feeling each others' breath steady before Gabriella turned her head, "thank you, Troy," she swallowed. "That went much better than I thought."

Troy rested his head on her shoulder and smiled. "You need to give me more credit, I know what my wife likes."

"Yes, you do," she agreed.

Troy kissed her cheek and took a step back, slapping her butt as he exited her body. He pulled his pants back up and stared smugly at her body, pleased with his performance. Maybe, now, he'd get a few more rounds in before the birth, he thought.

He helped Gabriella with her shorts and underwear as she, too, stood back up, rubbing her back. Turning around, Gabriella gave Troy a loving smile and pressed her belly into his abdomen, leaning up for a kiss. Troy obliged, leaving his lips lingering on hers for a moment longer than usual. He broke apart, then went in for one more quick peck with a smile.

"I love you," he grinned.

Gabriella smiled back. "I love you, too." She dug her fingers into her back, feeling uncomfortable. "And now I'm _really_ hungry."

Troy chuckled.

"Can you finish heating up the food? I'm going to clean up in the bathroom."

Troy nodded at his wife's request, watching her slowly waddle down the hall.

A few minutes later, Troy was flipping the burners off and plating their dinner when he heard Gabriella call from the bathroom.

"Troy! I need you!" Her voice sounded urgent. Troy dropped everything and raced down the hall.

"What is it?!" He exclaimed, throwing open the bathroom door.

He found Gabriella sitting on the toilet, her belly hanging low between her legs. She was bracing it with both hands.

"I'm bleeding," she whispered, a tone of fear coated her voice.

Troy stared for a moment, processing what she said. Then, he quickly knelt down and stroked her face, placing a hand on her belly.

"Okay," he gulped. "Um, a lot? Can I see?"

Gabriella shook her head, "No, it's not a lot. I just..I don't know what to do." Her voice was quivering.

Troy tried to stay calm. "Okay, it's okay." He repeated. "You, uh..you stay right here. Don't get up. I'm going to grab my phone so we can call Ludaks."

Gabriella stared at him with fear in her eyes and nodded.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently. She nodded again. He gave her a kiss on her forehead and bolted back to the kitchen to retrieve his phone.

He was already on his second attempt to reach the doctor when he got back to Gabriella. Gabriella sat firmly, rubbing her belly absentmindedly.

Troy hit speaker and quickly knelt back down, giving Gabriella's thigh a comforting squeeze.

Someone on the other line then picked up.

"Dr. Ludaks' office. My name is Mary, how can I assist you?"

"Dr. Ludaks, please," Troy said swiftly.

"I'm sorry, she just walked into an appointment with a patient. May I ask who I'm speaking with?"

"This is Troy Bolton. My wife, Gabriella Bolton is a patient. We need to talk to Dr. Ludaks immediately. My wife is bleeding," Troy quickly rattled off. He could hear the panic in his voice.

"Okay, Mr. Bolton. Calm down. How far along is your wife?"

"36 weeks."

"And how much is she bleeding?"

Troy shot Gabriella a questioning look, stammering to answer.

Gabriella spoke up. "Um, not much. Like light spotting. It's thick, though. I haven't spotted or anything before."

The voice on the other end had paused. Troy and Gabriella waited for a response.

"Okay, Mrs. Bolton. I have your file pulled up. I'll have Dr. Ludaks call you as soon as she can. She's behind a closed door right now but as soon as she returns she'll receive the message."

"Should we come in?" Troy asked impatiently.

"I'm afraid I can't advise either way," the voice answered. "Light bleeding is a common sign of the onset of labor. Are you experiencing any increase in pain, or has your water broken?"

"No," Gabriella answered.

"Okay. I'll let Dr. Ludaks know these details. Her notes indicate that she wants you to head to the hospital when your contractions become more regular. Would you say they have?"

"No."

"If the level of bleeding is concerning to you, please head to the hospital. If it's just light spotting, like at the beginning or end of your period, you can probably wait to talk to the doctor before making any moves. But please use your own discretion."

"Okay," Gabriella said quietly.

"When will Dr. Ludaks get back to us?" Troy demanded.

"Allow her thirty minutes. If anything changes in the mean time, please head to the hospital. Okay?"

Troy sighed. "Okay, thank you, Mary."

He hung up and looked back at Gabriella. She looked small and scared. "Are you okay?" He whispered. He rubbed her leg.

Gabriella let out a deep breath. "I think so," she responded. She rubbed her stomach.

"Any more contractions?" Troy asked.

"No," Gabriella sighed. "I want to get off the toilet, though. Can you give me a minute?"

Troy pursed his lips, "can I help-"

"Troy," Gabriella interrupted. "A minute please?"

Troy held his hands up in defeat. "I'll be right outside," he said, before standing up and leaving the room.

He paced outside the bathroom door for a few minutes before Gabriella emerged.

"I want to call Amanda," she announced, with a shakiness to her voice.

Troy looked at her, confused.

"Amanda," she clarified. "Chad's Amanda. I can't wait around for a half hour."

"Right," Troy pointed, "great idea. Let me call Chad."

Gabriella nodded.

"Sit down, baby," Troy said, motioning to their bed. He quickly punched in his friend's number, desperate to get a hold of Chad's girlfriend.

 _Ring. Ring_.

"Hey Troy," Chad answered casually.

"Chad, hey – listen. I need Amanda's number. Gabriella needs to talk to her."

"About what?" Chad asked, oblivious to the tone of panic in Troy's voice.

"Uh..pregnancy stuff. Listen, it's kind of urgent."

"Is Gabi okay?" Chad exclaimed.

"Chad! The number!"

"Right, sorry! She's actually just walking into my house! Hang on."

" _Amanda! I need you! Troy is on the phone, something about Gabriella, talk to him!"_

Troy heard some shuffling before Amanda answered, "Hello?"

Troy sighed in relief. "Amanda! Hi, it's Troy. I've got you on speaker with Gabi. We can't get a hold of our doctor."

"Okay," Amanda replied slowly, with confusion in her voice. "Is everything okay?"

Walking over to the bed so Gabriella could be in on the conversation as well, Troy responded. "We don't know. We had an appointment with Ludaks this morning and everything was fine. But Gabriella is bleeding..."

After a moment of silence, Amanda responded. "How much?"

Troy gave Gabriella the phone.

"Amanda, hi. It's Gabriella." She paused. "Not a lot. I don't know. Maybe we're overreacting. It's just like..like light spotting. It's kind of..slimy, though?" Her cheeks flushed as she looked at Troy. His face showed only concern.

"Okay. Well, it sounds like you lost your mucous membrane," Amanda answered confidently. "As long as it's not super heavy?"

"No," Gabriella confirmed. "I just..Troy and I just had sex. I'm worried we may have, I don't know..done something wrong?"

Gabriella was now bright red as she spoke to this near stranger on the phone, with Chad most likely listening to every word.

Fearing judgment, Gabriella leaned back against the headboard and rubbed her temple, waiting for Amanda to speak.

With nothing but professionalism, Amanda responded. "Completely normal. Sex can loosen up the membranes. It's actually a really great sign. You'll probably feel things begin to pick up, now. Have you noticed more consistent contractions? Or your water breaking?"

"No, not yet," Gabriella answered with relief. "So we don't need to be concerned?" She placed a hand on Troy's leg and squeezed it gently, calming him down.

"I'd say not to be. I can't be certain. You should definitely talk to Ludaks, but it sounds like you are just moving along."

Gabriella gave Troy a smile of relief and relaxed her shoulders. "Okay," she spoke, "thank you so much, Amanda."

"Of course!" Amanda replied enthusiastically. "Call me if you need anything else! Good luck!"

"Thanks. We really appreciate it," Troy chimed in. "We'll keep you posted."

"Great," Amanda said, "just make sure you're staying hydrated and comfortable, Gabriella."

"Okay, of course."

"Well, bye!"

"Talk to you later."

 _Click._

Troy sighed and rubbed his face warily and he tossed his phone onto the bed.

"Well, we handled that well," he joked, taking Gabriella's hand.

She laughed tiredly.

"How embarrassing," she muttered. "I'm sure Chad got an earful."

Troy rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Why don't you get comfortable here," he began, fluffing some pillows for Gabriella, "and I'll go grab the food. We can find a movie and have dinner in bed."

Gabriella shifted and reclined. "Mmm, that sounds wonderful."

Troy leaned down and kissed her before heading back to the kitchen.

The two settled in for the night. Dr. Ludaks returned their call promptly 20 minutes later and gave a very similar answer to Amanda, advising them to sit tight and continue waiting for the contractions to increase. Chad texted Troy several times checking in. Gabriella fell alseep very early, after several contractions hit her 30 minutes apart. Troy cleaned up dinner and got some sponsorship work done in his office before retiring for the night. Gabriella was still sound asleep when he climbed back into bed. Little did he know, this would be their last quiet night at home for the foreseeable future.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Troy was timing Gabriella's contractions, which had grown to be about 12 minutes apart and lasting for a minute. Gabriella had woken Troy up around 3:30am to tell him she'd been having consistent contractions for the last couple of hours. Now, about 5 hours later, she was getting much closer to giving birth.

Troy tapped his labor app as Gabriella signaled the end of her most recent contraction. She looked up at him from the ground, where she had been laboring on her hands and knees – the most comfortable position for her, at the moment.

Catching her breath, she asked, "have you tracked down my mom, yet?"

Troy sadly shook his head. "No, babe. I'm sorry. I'll keep trying."

Gabriella frowned. "Don't bother," she sighed. "You've left enough messages. She'll get them when she gets them. I just can't believe she'd leave the country so close to my due date."

Troy felt terrible. He'd grown used to his mother-in-law's frustrating lack of consideration over the years, all in the name of her professional growth. But this was a last straw for him. He had tried calling her hours ago, only to hear in her voicemail that she was in Warsaw for a last minute symposium, and to send any important messages to her email address, as her cell service would be spotty. This trip was news to her laboring daughter, and Troy knew Gabriella was more upset about it than she was letting on.

But Gabriella had more important things to focus on. She was using all of her energy to focus on her body and work with the contractions. They were becoming very intense – too painful now for her to talk through.

Troy had called his parents, who, unlike Maria Montez, had been waiting for the call for several days. His mom, Lucille, was landing any moment at LAX and his dad, Jack, would be arriving that night.

Troy was focusing on doing everything he could to support his wife. She was remaining strong and steadfast, impressing Troy, immensely.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" He asked quietly, rubbing her back and she calmed down from her last spasm.

Gabriella rested her head on their bed, leaning heavily over her belly. "Water," she croaked.

Troy nodded and grabbed her glass from beside her, rushing out to the kitchen for a refill. He returned in record time.

"Thank you," Gabriella whispered from her spot on the ground.

"You're doing so well, baby," Troy said encouragingly. "Do you need anything else?"

"My legs are starting to hurt," Gabriella responded, shifting her weight. "Can you help me up?"

"Yeah, come here," Troy said quickly, helping her to her feet. "Where do you want to go?"

"Hmm," Gabriella sighed, "maybe we can just walk around for a minute."

"Sure." Troy kissed her temple and led her out of the room.

They paced around their house for several minutes before Gabriella felt the familiar tightening begin.

"Troy," she breathed, stopping in her tracks and leaning into him.

"I've got you," he said, hooking his hands around her elbows and bracing himself for her full weight.

"MMMmmm..." she moaned, falling into Troy's chest. "Ohhhh gahhhd..." Her noises were deep and guttural. She felt her legs giving way, but Troy kept a firm grasp on her. "AAAHHhhh, AH-Mmmm..." She felt it intensify, moving from her lower back deep into her pelvis. She squeezed Troy's biceps, trying to ride out the pain.

"Good work, Gabs," Troy whispered.

The contraction began subsiding. Gabriella soon regained control of her breathing, though her hands remained firmly grasped onto Troy's muscular arms. She tiredly buried her head into Troy's chest and let the rest of the contraction wash over her.

Troy kissed the top of her head and led her over to the family room, helping her sit on the couch. "How about a foot massage?" He offered, sitting down next to her.

Gabriella shook her head, "over-stimulation, but thank you."

They settled into the couch, and Troy placed one hand on her belly, smiling.

"What do you think they're going to be like?" He wondered out loud.

Gabriella smiled and placed her hand on top of his. "Maybe they'll be athletes, like their daddy."

Troy grinned down at her. "Maybe they'll be brainiacs like their beautiful mommy. God I hope they look like you."

"Mmm..I want them to have your blue eyes."

They sat quietly for a few moments, enjoying the pain-free peace and quiet of their house. Gabriella's moan soon interrupted the silence. She grabbed Troy's leg, squeezing tight, and another intense contraction washed over her abdomen. Placing her free hand atop her womb, she could actually feel her belly shrink beneath it, as the contraction brought her babies further into her birth canal. "Mmmmmm..." she moaned, closing her eyes.

Troy sat still, letting his wife use him for whatever support she needed to get through the wave of pain. He silently noted the time on his phone... _8 minutes from the last one_. That was significant improvement. He let her finish her contraction before he spoke.

"Gabs, that was only 8 minutes in between."

Gabriella looked up at Troy with surprise. She hadn't realized she was progressing so effectively.

"Why don't we get in the shower and get everything ready to walk out the door," he suggested.

She nodded in agreement. Troy helped her up and they walked slowly back to the master.

"Are you coming in, too?" Gabriella asked. She was undressing slowly, swaying from side to side, which helped alleviate some of the pressure building in between her hips.

Troy nodded and got the water started, then quickly disrobed and held his hand out for Gabriella to follow him into the shower. The water relaxed her muscles and she quickly leaned against the wall, drawing a deep breath.

"Rub my back?" She requested softly.

Troy quickly began the ministrations on her tailbone and hips. He could feel the tightness of her pelvis beneath his fingers.

"Scale of 1-10," he said, "how uncomfortable are you?"

"Mmmf," Gabriella grunted as Troy dug into her back, "it's getting more intense. I'll be happy when we can go to the hospital...the pressure down there is starting to make me nervous."

Troy leaned over and kissed her neck, pushing one last fist into her lower back. Then he grabbed the shampoo and pulled her into the water. "Let's get washed up before the next contraction."

Gabriella nodded, allowing Troy to wash her hair and body while she braced her back and continued swaying left and right.

Exactly 10 minutes later Gabriella was hit with another contraction. Yelling for Troy who was still drying off in the bathroom, Gabriella braced herself on the bed.

"Rub my back!" She ordered. This contraction was stronger than any of the others, forcing her into a deep squat against the bed.

"Unngh..." She moaned. "Nnnnggh!"

"Breathe, Gabi. Just breathe," Troy whispered.

"Hooo, hooo, Nnnggh...hooo..." Gabriella grabbed the sheets and focused on deep breaths. "God, this hurts," she whispered breathlessly. As the contraction ended, Gabriella rested her forehead on the bed and looked down and her belly. She couldn't believe how low it was hanging now. She was feeling movement from within after that last contraction. The pain was subsiding, but she was feeling intense pressure all of the sudden.

"Troy," Gabriella said slowly, unable to stop her voice from shaking. "Can you take me back to the bathroom?"

"Yeah, baby," he whispered, hopping up and reaching down for her. "Are you okay?"

"I...I don't know. I think I need to go to the bathroom." Her body was visibly shaking now, panicking Troy.

"Okay, come on. You're okay," he assured her. He lead them across the room back to the bathroom. They had taken only a few steps when Gabriella stopped and squeezed Troy's arms, involuntarily bearing down with a small grunt.

 _Splash!_

Troy and Gabriella immediately looked down. A large puddle of clear liquid was forming on their hardwood floor.

"Oh, God," Gabriella whispered. She looked up at Troy. "That's my water, right?" She knew it was – her bag of water had just spilled out from inside of her, releasing a wave of pressure that had been mounting in her pelvis. She felt her baby drop lower as she rubbed her belly. She didn't know what to do, and continued looking up at her husband for direction.

Troy gulped, staring wide-eyed at his wife. His feet were soaked in her amniotic fluid. Maintaining a firm grasp on his wife, he shook the moisture off of his feet and led them out of the puddle, towards the toilet. Gabriella, still in only a post-shower robe, left a trail of liquid behind her.

"Okay," Troy said, trying to maintain any ounce of calmness in his voice, lowered his wife onto the white porcelain seat. "You sit here. I'm going to grab my phone and call Ludaks. Are you okay? Any pain?"

Gabriella shook her head. It felt good to sit on the toilet. She spread her legs and rocked her hips as more fluid slowly leaked out of her.

Troy ran into the kitchen, grabbing his phone off its charger when the doorbell rang.

"Who the hell is that?" He exclaimed under his breath. Still clutching his phone, he glanced through the peep hole only to see his mother standing in the landing, suitcase in tow.

Troy sighed with relief, throwing the door open.

"Mom!" He greeted her, throwing his arms around her and then grabbing her suitcase. "You're early."

Lucille grinned. "We landed about a half hour early and I was able to hop in a cab right away. I tried calling and texting you that I was close by!"

Troy led her inside and glanced at his phone screen. _2 missed calls and a text from 'Mom.'_

"Sorry," he explained, "we've been a little busy here."

Lucille quickly sized up her son. He was breathless, shaky, and shirtless. His face was pale and his eyes were full of nervous emotion.

"Well of course," she said calmly. She rubbed his shoulders. "Are you two doing okay, here? Where's Gabriella?" She glanced around, looking for her daughter-in-law.

Troy ran his hand through his damp hair, trying to clear his head.

"She's in the bathroom. Her water just broke. I have to call the doctor."

"Oh my gosh!" Lucille exclaimed with excitement. "Okay, okay. What can I do?"

Troy shook his head as he began dialing numbers. "Let me go get Gabi cleaned up and see what the doctor says. Can you just stay here for a second?"

Lucille waved off her son. "I'll go get settled in the guest room. You go take care of Gabriella and holler if you need me."

Troy nodded, already running back down the hallway towards his wife.

Gabriella was right where he'd left her. "Is that your Mom?" She asked nervously. "She's not coming back here is she? I need clothes!"

Troy chuckled. "No, no..she's unpacking." He held the phone up to his ear, listening to it ring. "What can I bring you?" He asked softly, covering the speaker.

"My navy Lunya cardigan and matching shorts. Not the short-short ones, the longer ones. Any tank top. And can you bring me a pair of the black underwear in the corner of my drawer. They say 'Thinx' on the label...they're the ones I wear during my period. Um..and some grippy socks."

Troy nodded, fetching her clothes as Mary, the receptionist, answered.

"Dr. Ludaks' office. Mary speaking. How can I help you?"

"Hi Mary, Troy Bolton. We spoke on the phone yesterday. My wife, Gabriella, her water just broke and I'm wondering if we should come in? Her contractions are about 10 minutes apart, give or take."

"If her water broke, head to the hospital. No need for panic. It sounds like you still have plenty of time. But Dr. Ludaks will want to monitor Gabriella's fluid levels."

Troy drew a deep breath. "Wow. Okay. So this is it."

He heard Mary chuckle softly. "It sounds like it, Mr. Bolton! I'll page Dr. Ludaks immediately. She's actually already at the hospital. She had some rounds there this afternoon. Now you stay calm and take your time."

"Right," Troy responded. "Thank you."

He hurried back to Gabriella to help her with her clothes, now jittery with anticipation.

"It's go time, baby!" He said with a grin. "Ludaks' office says head to Cedar."

Gabriella, now fully clothed, straightened up from the toilet. "Oh, wow," she whispered. She looked down at her massive belly, trying to soak up these last moments of her pregnancy. She lifted her tank top up to expose her skin and rubbed it, looking up at Troy. She swallowed hard and she gazed into his anticipatory eyes, all words escaping her.

Troy understood her gaze. This was the biggest moment of their lives. They were about to walk out of their home as a family of two for the last time. He reached out and stroked her cheek, and leaned in for a tender kiss. Their grins broke apart their lips.

"You ready, sweetheart?" Troy asked.

Gabriella took a deep breath and pulled her tank back down. "No going back now!" She placed one hand atop her belly and braced her back with the other. "Let's wait for my next contraction to pass before we get in the car though, okay?"

"Okay," Troy agreed. "I'm going to get this puddle cleaned up. My mom probably wants to say hi." He motioned for the hallway.

Gabriella slowly waddled to the front of the house to greet her mother-in-law, leaving Troy to fetch a roll of paper towels.

Lucille was in the kitchen, arranging several gift bags that she appeared to have brought when she caught sight of Gabriella making her way down the hall. She jumped and ran over to Gabi.

"Oh! Sweetheart! Look at you!" She cried, cupping Gabriella's face in her hands and kissing her cheek. "Are you okay? Can I do anything for you?"

Gabriella smiled and she leaned in to embrace Lucille. She had always had a special bond with her mother-in-law, even before she and Troy were married. Lucille always treated Gabriella like a daughter, especially when her own mother went MIA.

"I'm so glad you're here," Gabriella sighed.

Lucille smoothed Gabriella's hair and looked intently at her. "How are you doing?" She asked softly.

Gabriella shrugged. "Good, considering I've been in labor for days and my back is on absolute fire."

Lucille frowned. "Oh, dear. Back labor?"

Gabriella nodded. "We've been trying to flip her, but she won't budge," referring to posterior Baby A.

"Well, is Troy being helpful? Is he rubbing your back? Supporting you? You know there are any different positions you can try to help you get more comfortable..." Lucille rambled.

Gabriella smiled, rubbing her stomach. "You should be very proud," she assured Lucille. "Troy is being absolutely perfect, like always. He's spent more time rubbing my back than not, these last couple of days."

"I'm so happy to hear that," Lucille replied. She rubbed Gabriella's shoulder. "Any word from your mom?" She asked sheepishly, not wanted to upset Gabriella.

Gabi's face fell. Lucille immediately felt terrible for bringing it up.

"She hasn't gotten our messages yet," Gabriella explained. "At least that's what I have to assume seeing as how she hasn't called back, yet."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," said Lucille. "I'm sure she'll call soon. In the mean time, I'm here for any motherly needs you may have. Now what did the doctor say?"

Troy interrupted their conversation, having made his way back to the front of the house. He carried their hospital bags, Gabriella's pillow, and her purse. "She said 'head on out!'"

"Right now?" Lucille asked.

Troy nodded. He placed the bags on the floor and rubbed Gabriella's back. "You doing okay?" He asked. "Comfortable?"

She nodded. Troy glanced at his timer. "Do you want to sit down?" A contraction was about a minute away, if it stayed on time.

Gabriella shook her head. "Definitely not. Sitting down is almost as uncomfortable as the contractions, themselves."

Lucille pursed her lips. She adored seeing how caring her son was towards his wife; and yet the moment was so bittersweet as she knew Gabriella was in a great deal of pain.

"We're going to ride out Gabi's next contraction here before we leave," Troy explained to his mom.

She nodded in understanding. Deciding to give them some privacy, Lucille offered to load up the car, and grabbed their bags, excusing herself to the garage.

Like clockwork, Gabriella felt the tightening in her abdomen begin right on time and turned toward the kitchen to lean against the cold marble countertop.

"Mmmmpf...mmmmfff," she moaned. "Uhhhh god. Ow, ow, owww!" Her noises were becoming more intense. Every one of them drove a dagger into Troy's heart. "Unngh, Troy, my back!" She groaned. He responded by pressing even harder into her lower region. "Uhhh," she sighed, "that's helping. Harder." Troy obliged.

Lucille returned inside to catch the tail end of Gabriella's contraction. She gave them a moment to recover before she spoke up. "The car is all packed up," she said quietly, walking back into the kitchen. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me there? I can drive you? Do you want me to stick around here? Is there anything I can do?"

Troy smiled at his mom's consideration. "You can stay here for now, Mom. Let us get settled in and figure out how long this is going to take. I'll call you when we have an update. That okay?"

"Of course," Lucille responded. "I'll make myself busy. Plus, your father lands in a few hours. Now you two get going." She patted her son's shirt and tried to hide the tears forming in her eyes. Sighing, she swallowed a whimper and stood back, looking at her son and daughter-in-law.

"I love you both, so much," she whispered.

Gabriella felt tears of her own forming as she hugged Lucille tightly. "Thanks, Mom," she whispered.

Troy hugged his mom, too. "Find Maria," he said under his breath, hoping to hide the demand from Gabi. He felt Lucille nod as she patted his back.

"Okay," she said, wiping a tear. "Get going. Go make me a grandma!"

Gabriella laughed and took Troy's hand as he led them out the door. He saluted and assured Lucille, "We'll call you when we know anything."

With that, the two set out to the hospital, eager to meet their daughters.


	5. Chapter 5

Another contraction ended as Gabriella collapsed her head on hospital bed. She was straddling a birthing ball as she closed out her sixth hour of hospital admittance. Troy rubbed her back and kissed her hair, assuring her he would be right back. He stepped outside to answer his ringing phone.

"Hi, Mom," he answered.

Lucille spoke quickly on the other end. "Hi, sweetheart. How's everything going?"

"Gabriella's doing great. The doctor checked her about a half hour ago and she was at 6 centimeters; so, more than half way there. Any news from Maria?"

Lucille paused, and Troy knew she was about to deliver bad news.

"I got a hold of her," Lucille began. "She's doing everything she can to get here. But it looks like her earliest arrival won't be for a couple of days as she's having trouble with flights."

Troy sighed and massaged his brows. "That's just great," he sighed. He dreaded telling Gabriella that her mother was going to miss the birth.

"I had some choice words for her," Lucille continued. "What's worst is she is insisting on getting back to Europe as soon as possible. She actually suggested flying in for only a few hours to meet the babies before heading back to the airport. Apparently this conference is more important."

"Aw, Mom. Stay out of it, please," Troy requested. "We've been dealing with her bullshit for years. It'll just stress Gab out more if she knows you're getting involved."

Lucille paused. "Okay, I'll stay out of it. Anyway, I thought maybe you could call PJ and see if he could get her on an earlier flight? I don't know what else to do." PJ was Troy's manager and sports agent – flight logistics were one of his specialties.

Troy sighed. He didn't want to fill in his agent or his publicist on Gabriella's labor, just yet. He knew they'd both start "working" ways to announce it to the press, and right now, he was solely focused on being there for his wife.

Pinching the bridge of his nose in stress, he quickly responded, "yeah, I guess I'll text him. Thanks."

"Sure, honey. Is there anything else I can take care of here? Dad lands in an hour."

"No, thanks. Hey, go ahead and take Gabriella's car if you want to pick him up. You can probably come straight here if you have nothing else to do at the house."

"Really? Are you sure you want us there?"

"Yes, mom. It's fine. Hopefully we'll have the babies before the day ends."

"Okay. We'll see you soon then. I love you, Troy."

"Love you, Mom."

Troy hung up and ran his hands through his hair. He quickly typed up a text to send to PJ.

" _Hi PJ – Gab and I are at hospital. Babies are on their way – please keep it quiet. Looking to fly Gab's mom from Warsaw, Poland to LA, ASAP. Can you help? Use my credit card. I've attached her contact info – Maria Montez. Pls get in touch with her as we're busy over here. Gab is doing so well. Only family knows right now. I'll call when I can."_ Send.

Moments later, his phone buzzed. A message from PJ -

" _That's great news, Troy. I'm getting in touch with Maria right now. I'll send you info as soon as we have a confirmation. Will need a statement at some point, but don't think about it right now. I'll wait for your word to reach out to rags. Love to Gabi."_

Satisfied with the Maria situation, Troy quickly headed back to Gabriella.

He entered her labor suite and saw her as he left her. She sat spread eagle on a blue rubber birthing ball, her hips making tiny circles under her weight. Her head rested against her arms, which were folded on the bed. She was very quiet. She had become extremely focused, making less noise than before. Troy crept in, whispering, "I'm back," as not to startle her.

"Mmm," Gabriella acknowledged.

Troy resumed his seat on the chair directly behind her, and he picked up an ice pack, pressing it gently into her lower back, as she had requested almost immediately upon admittance. Gabriella's back pain had become unbearable. Dr. Ludaks expressed concern that her tailbone might have been injured during Baby A's initial ascension; but, there was nothing they could do at this point. Gabriella said the pressure she had once felt in her lower back had dissipated, but it had been replaced with a near constant intense ache. She was only comfortable laboring with all weight off of her back, hence her current bed-lean position.

"Thank you," she whispered, feeling the ice on her back. She let out a sigh of relief.

Troy stroked her bare thigh with the back of his fingers.

"My mom is going to pick up Dad in an hour, and then I told them to come here." He said softly.

Gabi nodded, "Okay." She didn't ask about her own mother so Troy kept quiet.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, with Troy continually pressing the ice pack onto the fabric of his wife's hospital gown. He pulled her sweaty hair back every so often. When her hips started moving in larger circles, he knew she was having a another contraction. She moaned quietly. Troy placed his free hand on hers. Although she wasn't as loud as she had been at the house, her titanic grip on his hand told Troy that her contractions were getting much stronger. He silently winced as she squeezed the life out of his fingers.

Gabriella had requested minimal intervention in her birth plan. She only wanted cervical checks when _she_ felt progression, and she chose intermittent fetal monitoring as opposed to being hooked up to wires, so long as both babies had good vitals. So far, everything was moving along as she hoped. Dr. Ludaks was thrilled with the last internal exam. She told Gabriella to be thankful she was moving along to steadily to which Gabriella rolled her eyes and reminded her that she'd been having contractions for more than 48 hours. Still, 6 centimeters was encouraging for the first-time mom, and Gabriella was working hard to stay zen and focused as she continued her active labor.

Gabriella felt the contraction peak, and slowly breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth as it began to fade. She relaxed her hips again. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned her head to look at Troy. He softly smiled down at her.

"I'm so tired," she whispered. It was true; she was having trouble keeping her eyes open, but with pains coming every 4-5 minutes at this point, she was having a hard time finding sleep.

Troy grazed her cheek with his thumb. "Do you want to lay down?" He suggested.

Gabriella shook her head. "I can't lay on my back. Hurts too much."

"What about your side? We brought your pillow." Troy referred to the giant u-shaped pillow that Gabriella had used most of her pregnancy.

Gabriella blinked, contemplating the idea. She was losing the energy to remain upright on her birthing ball. "Okay," she replied timidly. She slowly stood up, wincing at the pain in her tailbone. Troy assisted her as best she could. She let out a whimper as her weight shifted to her bottom, before she quickly flipped over to her side and straddled her pillow.

"Try to sleep, baby," Troy whispered in her ear. Once she was comfortable he gently pressed the ice pack back into its spot. Gabriella felt comfortable enough, and her heavy eyelids shut. Troy sighed with relief a minute later when he heard the familiar sound of her steady, slumbering breath. He closed his eyes too, hoping for a quick catnap while Gabriella was out.

A quick, but very precious 30-minutes later, Troy's nap was interrupted when Gabriella awoke suddenly with a loud cry. "Mmmm...Aaaaahh-AH!"

Troy's eyes opened quickly. Gabriella was clutching her belly as she writhed on her side, riddled with another contaction. "Trooooy..." she groaned, reaching back for him. Troy jumped up and ran to the other side of the bed to face her. He extended his arm, to which she quickly grasped. She was shaking, like she was freezing; but her face was bright red with heat.

Troy cleared the hair out of her eyes with his free hand. "Breathe, Gab. Remember to breathe. In...and out..." He mimicked her breathing exercises, trying to encourage her to match his own.

"Hhhmmm...hooo...hhmmm..hoooooo.." She puffed. Her eyes remained closed and her hand remained pressed into her contracting abdomen. Her body rocked back and forth against the pillow that was stuffed between her legs. Troy rubbed her upper thigh with ferocity. A minute later, her low moans quieted and her quivering body stilled. Gabriella's eyes slowly opened and found Troy's worried gaze.

"Good job, sweetheart," he said, lovingly stroking her cheek. "Are you still comfortable?"

"Can you get the nurse?" Gabriella asked breathlessly. "I want to be checked. Mmmhhf.." She was still working through the tail end of the pain.

Troy wordlessly leaned over and pressed the nurse call button. Then he reached across her to the washcloth and water pail on the other side of the bed and wet it. He dabbed her rosy cheeks and hairline.

"How's your back doing?" He asked, his voice shrouded with concern.

Gabriella took a deep breath – the contraction now completely over. "It feels okay in this position," she answered. Noticing the worry in her husband's face, she added, "I fell asleep. That was nice."

Troy smiled softly. Just then Gabriella's nurse hustled in.

"Mrs. Bolton, how are you hanging in there?" Asked Nurse Angie, a high-spirited older woman who had been attending to the couple since they were admitted. She had her portable doppler kit in hand.

"Good," Gabriella responded. "I was able to fall asleep. But I just had my worst contraction yet. I'm feeling a lot of pressure right now."

Troy gulped.

Angie nodded, and quickly set up the equipment, lifting up Gabriella's gown to expose her belly. Angie plugged a wand into a machine by Gabriella's bed and began firmly pressing the head of it into Gabriella's stomach. She maneuvered it for a few moments before the machine began beeping with a heartbeat.

"There's Baby B," she smiled, "strong heartbeat, as before."

Troy and Gabriella both smiled in relief, relishing in the sound of the healthy heart.

Angie moved the wand further down Gabriella's belly, looking for Baby A. Back and forth, she moved the wand around the skin between Gabriella's belly button and her crotch, but no beeps prevailed. Pursing her lips, Angie made a request. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Bolton. Can I ask you to turn on your back for just a couple minutes? I can't get a read at this angle."

Gabriella groaned, but she reached over to Troy for his help in heaving her body from its current side-laying position. Troy pulled Gabriella onto her back, her legs flopping open on either side. She winced, but remained quiet. Angie resumed her wand work, moving the device even further south on Gabriella's belly, just above her feminine opening. The machine resumed beeping and everyone sighed with relief.

"And there's Baby A," Angie confirmed. "When was your last check?"

"About an hour ago," Troy answered.

"I'm going to page the doctor," Angie responded. "From the looks of this, your first baby has moved down quite a bit..."

"What does that mean?" Gabriella asked nervously. She placed her hands on both sides of her belly and rubbed it.

Angie smiled. "Let's see what Dr. Ludaks says. She's going to need to check you in the position you're in now. I promise, we'll get you off your back and more comfortable as soon as possible." With that, she quickly packed up and left the room.

Troy raised his eyebrows at Gabriella as fear of the unknown washed over him. He placed his hand on top of her belly. "Hang in there, Gabs," he encouraged her.

She closed her eyes and nodded silently. Her legs began squirming uneasily. "Troy," she whispered, "another one..HHhnnnggh! Oooooohh-Mmmmm.." She pressed her hands into her rock hard abdomen, trying to get her breathing under control.

Troy's eyes opened wide as he silently noted the last contraction being less than minutes apart from this one. He reached for her hand and she squeezed it.

Gabriella was still reclined in examination-position, leaking fluid onto her bed in spread eagle. She arched her back as she squeezed Troy's arm. "Damn it..." she moaned, arching her back. "Troy, uhghhh..I feel like, unnngh, I feel weird. I need to go to the bathroom..ahh, ahh, Nnghhh.." She felt involuntary muscle spasms going off in her birth canal."

Troy immediately felt nauseous. He quickly swallowed the lump in his throat and he ran his hand through her damp curly hair. "Okay," he said calmly, "Just keep breathing...breathe with me. Ludaks will be here any second." And then like he summoned her, Ludaks breezed into the room.

She surveyed the situation quickly, noting the throws of the contraction Gabriella was currently in. "Hi Gabriella," she said with an encouraging smile. She took her seat at the edge of Gabriella's bed and put on her examining gloves.

"Deep breath for me, honey. I need you to relax," she instructed. Her right hand slipped into Gabriella's widening birth canal and at just about two knuckles deep, her fingers were met with a large, solid mass. Dr. Ludaks smiled.

"Well, well, Mrs. Bolton. You've been doing some good work this last hour. Are you feeling any urges to push?"

Gabriella nodded silently, sweat running down her face.

"Your baby is about this far away from entering the world!" Ludaks showed Gabriella with her finges. "You're at 9 centimeters. Let's get you prepped for delivery."

"Are you serious?" Gabriella breathed. "How is that possible? Three centimeters in an hour?"

Dr. Ludaks smiled. "The nurse said you managed to take a nap? Dilation is much easier to do when your body is relaxed."

"Can I get off my back, please?" Gabriella requested. A small sob escaped her and Troy gave her hand a loving squeeze.

Dr. Ludaks nodded. "Get comfortable. I'm going to scrub up and call the team in the set up your squat bar. I'll be back in a few minutes. I need you to relax and breathe until then, okay?" Gabriella nodded. "Keep her calm, Dad," Ludaks added, pointing to Troy. Then she left the room.

Troy helped Gabriella get back on her side. Once she assured him she was as comfortable as possible, he leaned in and gave her a deep kiss.

"Oh my god, Gabriella," he breathed into her face, breaking the kiss apart. "We're going to be parents." Gabriella felt his lips curl into a smile. She reached up to his cheek and stroked it.

"I love you, Wildcat," she whispered weakly.

Troy squeezed her wrist. "I love you, too." He leaned his forehead onto hers and kissed her once more.

Noting her dry lips, he then grabbed the chap-stick out of her hospital bag and rubbed some on her. "You ready?" he asked, capping the stick.

Gabriella gave him a shallow nod. "I'm scared," she said, her voice breaking.

Troy gave her a sympathetic half-smile. "No going back now!" He echoed her from earlier in the day. "I'm right here, Gabriella. And I know you've got this. You're the strongest person I know."

Gabriella smiled wearily. Her teeth began chattering, along with the rest of her body.

"Are you cold?" Troy asked. He rubbed her arm.

She shook her head. "I think this is transition," she answered shakily.

Suddenly, their room was filled with nurses, anesthesiologists, and doctors. A squat bar was attached to Gabriella's labor bed, which turned into her pushing station. Dr. Ludaks returned in full doctor regalia. She measured Gabriella again, instructing her to breath through the next few contractions to allow full dialation before pushing. With Troy's help, Gabriella removed her hospital gown completely, now wearing only a black bra and her white ankle socks. He tied her dark curls up in a messy ponytail and lifted her up so that she could position herself into a deep squat over the mattress, with the bar to lean on. Her belly was now oblong shaped, empty of most of its amniotic fluid, and hung low between her tired legs. Troy stood on her right, rubbing her calf with one hand and holding the ice pack on her back with the other. Dr. Ludaks resumed her position at the foot of the bed, which had been collapsed into half its size for the birth.

To a panting Gabriella, Dr. Ludaks instructed, "On your next contraction, I want you to bear down. Okay? Your baby is a few inches from crowing, and because of her position she's going to need some extra help from you to get out."

Gabriella, balancing on both feet grasped the metal bar and nodded. She continued panting - overcome with pain, pressure, and nerves.

Dr. Ludaks pumped some medical lubrication onto her glove and palmed Gabriella's swollen vagina. She inserted her fingers, inducing a gasp from the laboring mother, but Gabriella rocked her hips and pressed on. Dr. Ludaks moved further inside Gabriella's vagina, finding the head of the first baby.

"Okay, Gabriella," she said calmly. She could feel Gabriella's vaginal walls beginning to contract. "Push for 10 seconds."

Troy braced his wife's back with his hand.

Gabriella felt the instinctual urge to push, and despite the pain, she began to.

"Unnnnnggghh!" She moaned, thrusting slightly to make room for the head. "Ggggrrrrr... Nghhh AHHHH-NNNnnng!" Her teeth clenched as she bore down into her nether regions, willing her baby to crown. She felt a deep painful throb in her backside.

"That's good, Gabriella. Keep pushing," Dr. Ludaks encouraged.

Gabriella grunted and bore down again.

Troy felt helpless watching his wife push. He'd never seen anyone in so much pain. All he could do was squeeze her calf and hold the ice pack to her backside. "Good job, baby," he muttered. In all truth, he could barely open his mouth to speak. The sight of his wife's vagina growing more and more swollen as the head neared made him nauseous. He couldn't imagine her pain, or where she was gathering the strength to push through it.

"Ungh, ungh, unghh..." Gabriella's contraction was subsiding, and she began panting and half-pushing as it ended.

"Great work, Gabriella," Dr. Ludaks said. "That was a great push. We'll need some more of those."

"Ungh..water, Troy," Gabriella requested.

Troy quickly grabbed the water from Gabriella's side table and held the straw up to her dry lips. She gratefully sipped it, awaiting the next contraction.

She rolled her head and neck from side to side, trying to undo some of the tension knots building in her shoulders. Troy rolled the ice pack around her lower back and leaned in to kiss her shoulder. He couldn't muster any words.

Meanwhile, Gabriella remained transfixed in what was happening deep within her pelvis. The pressure she felt in her nether regions was insurmountable. She felt an animalistic urge to expel whatever was causing it.

Soon, another contraction rolled through her belly and without direction, Gabriella grasped the bar and bore down, again.

"Unnnggghh!" She grunted. "UUUUuuuuurgggghhh! Come on, UNNNGGhhh!" She urged her baby. Her belly visibly morphed as the baby neared its crowning point.

...Two hours later, Gabriella laid on her side, one leg high in the air – being held up by Troy, as she continued pushing her first baby to a crown.

"She's right there, Gabriella. You're doing great! She's almost here. One more big push and you'll be able to feel her hair," Ludaks instructed.

Gabriella gulped in big puff of air. Her legs had given out on her about five contractions ago, and Dr. Ludaks had suggested laying Gabriella down to continue her pushing. However, 30 seconds on her back and Gabriella was begging for another position. So, they rolled her to her side and hitched her leg into Troy's willing arms. Nurses were checking vitals of the babies constantly, and both they and Gabriella remained strong – just taking their time.

"Let's go, baby," Troy encouraged. He gave her calf a loving squeeze and rubbed her leg.

Gabriella grunted, exerting all the force she could muster into her push. "Hhhhhhhnngg!" Suddenly, she stopped. A fire erupted between her thighs, causing her to gasp.

"Oh god, hoo-oh god, it's burning," she moaned.

"Don't stop pushing, sweetheart. I know it hurts. You need to push through the burn. Keep going," Dr. Ludaks responded. Sitting at Gabriella's entrance, her fingers slowly stretched Gabriella's crowning vagina. A head was finally emerging after over two hours of pushing. Ludaks applied gently counter pressure to Gabriella's mound, attempting to keep her from ripping.

"Oooohhh-nghh!" Gabriella panted. The pain and pressure was peaking and she could barely hold it together through the exhaustion she felt. She grabbed the bed rail, squeezing it to the point of white knuckles.

Troy glanced down and saw the top of his daughter's head, just a small teardrop forming, and choked up. A mass of chocolate hair nearly brought him to his knees. His hands were supporting his wife's leg so he couldn't wipe the couple of tears that escaped.

"I can see her, Gabriella. Oh my god, she has so much hair. I can see her!" He exclaimed. He leaned down and kissed her knee.

Gabriella tried to peer over her belly but couldn't see anything. Her contraction ended and she suddenly felt the baby slip back inside. "Wha-what happened?" She gasped breathlessly. "Why did she go back in?"

"It's okay, Gabriella. Your skin is just stretching. You're getting so close, now," Ludaks assured her.

Gabriella sighed, tears forming. "Why won't she come out?" She cried.

Troy stood by, feeling helpless. He rubbed her leg and braced her foot. "You're doing so well, baby. You're almost done."

Gabriella closed her eyes, trying to slow her breathing. Dr. Ludaks continued stretching her internally. After the short break, another contraction began. Gabriella started out with a slow deep moan, inahling, and then baring down with another steady push. She felt the white-hot discomfort form between her legs again and the baby came to a full crown, stopping just below her nose.

"I can see her face, Gab! She's so beautiful!" Troy cried.

Shaking from exertion, Gabriella took another breath and pushed down again. Her effort brought the child's head to its widest point as the contraction began to slow down.

"Unghh...ah, ah, ah," she panted.

"Stop pushing, Gabriella." Dr. Ludaks said firmly.

"Ahhh, ah, I-nnghh-can't," Gabi sobbed. "Oh my god, get her out!" She felt as though she was being ripped apart as her baby's head sat firmly in her bottom, half-in, half-out. "Hhhnnggh oh gaaahhd!"

"Daddy," Dr. Ludaks instructed loudly, "let's get her breathing under control or she's going to hurt herself. Gabriella, slow down and let yourself stretch," she warned.

Troy jumped into action, glad to finally have something useful to do. Still holding her leg, he leaned over to Gabriella and gently whispered, "breathe, sweetheart. In...and out...come on, you can do it." He coached her until she was following his pattern, still trembling.

"Hoo...hooo..." she breathed. The burning sensation grew as she waited for the okay to push.

"She's gorgeous, Gab," Troy whispered, leaning over to grab another look at the baby. "She's got a full head of hair." He continued coaching her breathing and rubbing her leg. He felt Gabriella tense as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Mmmmmm," she moaned, signaling another contraction. Slowly, she felt the head emerge more. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to keep herself from pushing.

"Good job, Gabriella," Dr. Ludaks said.

 _Pop._

"Oh my god," Gabriella exhaled. The head was out. "Thank you, Jesus," she sighed.

Troy stared, in awe of his wife. More tears formed. "You did it, baby," he whispered, unable to come up with any other words.

Dr. Ludaks gave Gabriella the okay to push again, and two contractions later, Gabriella felt a firm swoosh. Her baby was out. She quickly rolled over to her back, dropping her knees and reaching out her arms.

"Here she is!" Dr. Ludaks announced happily, placing the baby directly on Gabriella's chest.

Gabriella sobbed upon laying eyes on her baby. "Oh my god!" She cried, embracing the newborn. "Hi baby!" A nurse reached over and gave the baby a rubdown with a washcloth, wiping away excess birthing fluids.

Troy wiped his face, leaning closer to his daughter, quickly stopping at his wife's temple to kiss her. He reached down, rubbing the newborn's back as the baby began squirming.

"Oh my god, you did it, Gabs. I'm so proud of you," he gushed. Gabriella smiled up at him, her ear-to-ear grin matching his own, before her eyes darted back down to the baby.

Another nurse reached over with a suction, swiftly going in and out of the baby's nose and mouth, before a very audible, high-pitched wail filled the room.

"Wah! Wah! Wah!" The distinct cry of a newly born baby eased both parents' tension as they laughed, and continued inspecting their child.

"Oh I know, that was pretty intense" Gabriella comforted, stroking her baby's hairline. "It's okay, Rosie. I know...you're okay."

Troy grinned at Gabriella's use of their agreed upon moniker. "Welcome to the world Rosario Grace Bolton," he echoed. He leaned down and kissed little Rosie's head before resting his forehead against Gabriella's.

"She's perfect," he choked out. "Thank you so much, Gabriella."

A nurse interrupted the family. "Let's see if we can get her to nurse for a little bit," she suggested, helping Gabriella situation the baby on her chest. Gabriella pulled her nursing bra down revealing her breast. "You want to stimulate the nipple a bit," the nurse instructed, showing Gabriella how to do it. "It makes for an easier target for baby to find." Once satisfied, the nurse helped Gabriella lead the baby to a quick latch. "Well done, Mommy," she lamented, impressed with how quickly the baby took.

Gabriella sighed and she laid her head back down, closing her eyes for a few moments. She was exhausted, and needed to focus on conserving whatever energy she had left for her second delivery.

Troy sat and watched in awe as his daughter breastfed. Her eyes slowly opened and he gasped. She looked right at him as she continued to suckle. Her whimpers were dissipating as she fed.

"Gabi, look," he whispered. Staring at his daughter's clear blue eyes.

Gabriella lifted her head and peered down. "Oh, wow," she breathed. "She has your eyes."

Troy laughed softly. "All baby's are born with blue eyes," he reminded her.

Unable to break her gaze, Gabriella retored, "not like these. They're crystal blue, just like yours. Oh, Troy, I love her so much."

Troy grinned and he leaned down to kiss his wife. His lips lingered on hers for a moment as he soaked in the moment.

"We love you, Rosie girl," he whispered, rubbing his daughter's crown.

So wrapped up in her new baby, Gabriella had nearly forgotten about the medical team still working on her. She suddenly felt a tug of discomfort within her belly and moaned slightly, looking down between her legs.

Dr. Ludaks looked up at her apologetically. "Wonderful work, Mommy. You stay relaxed right now. We're trying to turn baby B out of breech and it might be a little painful for you."

Gabriella exhaled and nodded. "Do whatever you need to do," she said weakily.

A knot formed in Troy's throat as he remembered Gabriella had to do it all again. He said a silent prayer that it wouldn't take as long the second time around. Behind the pure joy in her eyes, he could see a very exhausted wife and he knew she didn't have much left to give after that difficult two-and-a-half hours of pushing.

He pulled his attention away from his daughter for a moment and looked at Gabriella with concern. He rubbed her sweaty, matted hair and gave her a soft smile.

"You okay?" He asked.

She nodded weakily, still peering down at their nursing daughter.

"Are you going to push in this position?" He questioned. She was flat on her back; not a position she was comfortable in before. Gabriella didn't answer; she just closed her eyes and sighed. Troy knew not to push the question. He closed his mouth and gave Gabriella this moment with her new baby.

A few minutes later, Rosie fell off her latch and nurses whisked her to the other side of the room to check her vitals and measurements. Her complexion was pink and perfect, and both Troy and Gabriella noted she looked bigger than the 5 lb baby they were expecting.

As Dr. Ludaks continued pushing and pulling on Gabriella's belly, Troy resumed his spot next to his wife, taking her hand and stroking her hair. Her eyes remained closed as quiet grunts and moans escaped her lips every so often.

From across the room, a nurse called out, "Baby Rosie is perfectly healthy! 6 lbs 8 oz, 19 inches long."

Gabriella opened her eyes and stared up at Troy. "6 ½ lbs?!" She gasped softly. "Thank goodness they came a week early!"

Troy laughed and smoothed her hair again. He bent down and laid another kiss on her forehead. The nurse came back with sleeping Rosie wrapped in a tiny swaddle. "Who would like her?" She asked the parents.

Gabriella winced, "Take her, Troy. I think contractions are starting back up. Unnggh, hoo, hooo..." She squeezed Troy's hand.

The nurse walked over the Troy's side of the bed and placed the tiny baby in the crook of Troy's free arm. "Hi baby girl," he whispered, kissing her face before turning his attention back to Gabriella.

"Has she-unghh-flipped?" Gabriella grunted. Her legs squirmed outward as she felt the force of her contracting uterus thrust her second child into her birth canal.

Dr. Ludaks popped her head over Gabriella's swollen belly with a satisfied smile. "She flipped," she confirmed.

Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand and swept her knuckles with his lips as he let out a sigh of relief. Gabriella, too, felt relief sweep over her.

"How are you feeling Gabriella?" Dr. Ludaks asked, still pressing into her belly, feeling the position of the newly flipped child.

"Uhh, hooo...um, she's getting there," Gabriella responded. She felt the familiar pressure forming again.

"Are you comfortable?" Ludaks pressed.

Gabriella paused for a moment, then shook her head. New tears were forming in her tired eyes.

"Let's get you in stirrups," Ludaks suggested, prompting several nurses to begin setting up the bed for a new pushing position. "And someone get some pillows under her," she also barked.

Quickly, Gabriella was propped up and her legs were once again parted, this time resting on cushioned apparatuses on either side of her hospital bed.

"Can I get an ice pack under my back?" Gabriella requested in a small voice. Troy's heart broke for her. A nurse ran over with a cold compress and slid it under Gabriella's laboring body.

He kissed her hand again and moved Rosie closer to her face. "Hey, baby," he whispered to Gabriella. "You're almost done. And then we'll have another one of these." He looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms, still wrapping his head around the fact that something so perfect could possibly belong to him. From what he could see on the slumbering newborn's face, she was all Gabriella. Except for her eyes, he secretly hoped.

Despite her growing discomfort, and the pressure of another baby move further and further down, Gabriella's heart soared when she looked over and saw her husband staring lovingly down at their new baby girl. It was all the motivation she needed to finish her job here.

She laid quietly, watching the two of them bond, waiting for contractions to pick back up. She pressed into her deflated belly and quickly found the hard mass that still laid within her. Her poke invoked a hard kick from within, causing her to laugh and gasp at the same time. These were her last moments of pregnancy, she realized, and despite the difficult last month, she had enjoyed every minute of it. She rubbed her bare belly for a few more moments before it began to tighten and morph underneath her hand.

"Okay, Gabriella," Dr. Ludaks said, "give me a big push!"

Gabriella took a deep breath, slid her legs back further, lifted her chin to her chest, and pushed. "UUUUUUUNNNNNGHHH!" She roared, holding the push for ten long seconds. She took another breath, and pressed her chin back down, baring down with a maternal fierceness. "NNNnnnnnnnggg..hoo...hoo..UUNNNNGGgggghh!"

"Good, Gabriella, excellent. Baby is just inside. You'll start crowning on your next contraction." Dr. Ludaks began applying counter pressure, as before, to Gabriella's now very swollen vagina.

Gabriella caught her breath for 30 seconds before the next wave hit her. This time, she grabbed her legs at her knees pulling them even further apart, determined to end her pain. "MMMMmmmmnnggghh..." she moaned, gulping in air before exerting herself again, "Nnnnnnngng-AHH!"

"Slow it down, Gabriella," Dr. Ludaks warned her; but her words fell on deaf ears as Gabriella continued pushing through the powerful contraction, too focused to hear anything around her.

Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand, trying to get her attention. "Gabriella, don't forget to breathe," he coached.

Suddenly, high-pitched newborn wails again filled the room. Troy quickly looked down at the baby in his arms, but Rosie was still sleeping soundly. He looked up, confused. Gabriella collapsed back down, dropping her legs and puffing air loudly. "I..did..it," she panted.

"You certainly did," Ludaks spoke, lifting another baby up from between Gabriella's legs. The baby was wailing and squirming as she was plopped down on her mother's chest.

"Oh my god," Troy gasped. "You...you just had another baby! Gabriella! Oh my god!" Troy stared in shock for a moment. He wiped his face..had he missed something? She had begun pushing just two minutes prior. Rosie took over two _hours._ He couldn't believe the second baby had come so quickly.

"Oh my god," puffed Gabriella, her face was bright red and dripping with sweat. Troy noticed broken capillaries popping up around her under eyes.

"Gabi, how did you just do that?" He asked, half-laughing and half-freaking out. He leaned down and kissed her before inspecting his second daughter. She was slightly smaller, he noticed, but still looked extremely healthy. She had the same amount of hair, but hers look much darker than Rosie's, whose, now that it was dry, was much lighter than Troy originally thought.

Gabriella just laid there, rubbing her baby, sobbing and gasping for air. She leaned down and gently kissed her daughter's head before collapsing back onto her pillows. She turned and looked at Troy, who was crying as he was before. The newborn cried and wriggled around in her mom's arms, feistier than her sister. A nurse came over for a visual inspection as she cleaned up the baby as she'd done to Rosie. "You'll want to put her on your other breast to nurse," she pointed out to Gabriella.

Gabriella nodded wordlessly, unable to muster the energy for anything else at the moment. A deep sting was beginning to form between her legs and she knew she had probably torn with the second baby.

Sure enough, Dr. Ludaks, who was still attending to Gabriella's nether region, spoke quietly to an attending nurse. "Second and third degree lacerations. Order local anesthetic and suture kits, stat."

Both Troy and Gabriella heard her. Troy anxiously looked over to the doctor. "Is she okay?" He asked, referring to Gabriella.

Dr. Ludaks looked up briefly. "She's going to need some stitches. Your second daughter really barrel rolled out of there," she explained. "But yes, she's fine. Now let's get the afterbirth delivered, okay, Gabriella?"

"Okay," Gabriella answered, with a hoarse whisper.

Dr. Ludaks peered up at the new parents, deciding to give them a moment before beginning Gabriella's uncomfortable placenta massage.

"She's beautiful, like her sister," she commented, "does she have a name?"

"Charlotte. Charlotte Jane Bolton."

Gabriella looked back down at her baby, whose eyes were beginning to flutter open. Just like her sister, she had clear blue pools that mimicked her daddy's. "Oh, Troy," she sighed. He saw it, too. He leaned down and kissed Charlotte's temple before placing a gentle one on his exhausted wife. He saw that Gabi could barely keep her eyes open. Charlotte continued crying, although she was now settling down.

Concerned, Troy looked back to the nurse. "Should she be feeding?" He asked. Gabriella hadn't pulled her into a latch yet and by the looks of it, it was because she didn't have the energy to.

The nurse walked over and placed the baby on Gabriella's opposite breast, rubbing the nipple a little bit. "Is this okay?" She asked Gabi, who just nodded sleepily. Charlotte began rooting instinctively, unable to find the nipple.

"Come on, baby," the nurse encouraged, offering the child more support, guiding her mouth directly to Gabriella's breast. Charlotte still struggled. The nurse continued stimulating Gabriella's nipple while Troy awkwardly looked on.

"Come on, Charlotte," he whispered, moving closer to his wife's chest. "You can do it, little one." He watched eagerly for a few more minutes until his daughter finally found her latch.

Gabriella sighed with relief, lazily draping her arm over the feeding infant.

"How's Miss Rosie?" she asked Troy.

Troy smiled down at the baby in his arms. "Sleeping like a..well, a baby," he chuckled.

"Mmm," sighed Gabriella.

Dr. Ludaks began pressing into Gabriella's empty womb, stimulating the muscle contractions that would deliver the placenta and end Gabriella's impressive birth. Too tired to react to the pain, Gabriella laid there motionless. When instructed, she exerted her last bits of strength to expel the placentas.

"Well done, Gabriella Bolton," Dr. Ludaks praised, patting Gabriella's leg. "That was a difficult birth. You handled it like a super human."

Gabriella let out an exasperated laugh. Charlotte soon fell off the nipple, ending her first feed. The nurses took the baby to the measuring station, as they'd done with Rosie. They cleaned her up and announced her good health and measurements. "6 lbs even. 18 ½ inches long." Soon she was returned to her parents in a similar swaddle.

"Troy," Gabriella said weakily. "Can you hold them both. I can't, I can't lift my arms. I'm so tired."

"Absolutely," Troy whispered back. The nurse walked over, placing his second daughter in his other arm. Troy's heart exploded again, immeasurably. His arms felt so full as he stared down in wonder at his two daughters.

"Rosie, meet your sister," Troy said softly. "This is Charlotte. Charlotte, meet Rosario. You two are going to be best friends. Your mom and I love you more than anyone has ever loved anyone." He glanced up at Gabriella, who appeared to have passed out. Her mouth lay slightly open and her breathing had begun to even out.

He looked over at Dr. Ludaks. "She fell asleep," he announced worriedly.

Dr. Ludaks chuckled. "Well wouldn't you?" She joked. "It's perfectly normal. Her body's just been through a trauma. I'm going to start stitching her up, and it might take a while. It's better if she sleeps through it, anyway." She paused. "I think there might be some very anxious grandparents in the waiting room if you want to go introduce them to their granddaughters?"

Troy had completely forgotten about his parents. He had sent them a text that Gabriella was going to start pushing almost four hours ago. They were probably freaking out. Troy slowly stood up, gently bouncing both babies. He leaned down and kissed his wife's forehead.

"Can someone come and get me if she wakes up?" He asked the roomful of people. Several nurses assured him they would.

It was nearly 10 o'clock, Troy noted, as he left the room. They'd been at the hospital for 10 hours. Luckily, because it was later into the night, and Gabriella's birthing suite was part of a semi-private wing of the hospital, he wasn't worried about walking out to the lobby to meet his parents. Surely, no one would be around to recognize him at this point.

Luckily, as he rounded the corner with his new daughters, the only people in the lobby were his mom and dad.

Lucille jumped up when she saw her son. Her eyes were red and puffy.

"Troy!" She shrieked, racing across the room.

"Shh, Mom, you'll wake them up!" Troy hissed.

"Oh my god!" She whispered, reaching her son and her two new grandchildren. "Oh my god, Troy. They're here!" She stroked their tiny cheeks, her eyes darting back and forth from one to the other."

Troy grinned as he continued gently rocking them. He caught his father's gaze, who was steps behind Lucille.

"Jack, look," Lucille sobbed, grabbing her husband's arm and pulling him closer. "They're here. They're so beautiful." She wiped her eyes in Jack's shirt.

"Congratulations, Son," Jack choked. Troy looked up to see tears forming in Jack's eyes. Troy rarely saw his dad cry.

"Thanks, dad," he grinned. "Glad you were able to make it."

Jack slapped Troy's shoulder and he gave it a squeeze. "There's no where else we'd rather be."

"Well," Troy said, shifting the weight in his left arm towards his mother, "I think these two want to meet their Grandma and Grandpa."

Lucille immediately embraced the child that her son was handing off to her. "Mom, Dad, meet Rosario Grace Bolton." He paused, allowing his mom to nestle the baby in her arms. "She's named after Gabi's abuelita. We're calling her Rosie, for short."

Lucille let out another soft sob. "So beautiful," she observed. "Hello little Rosie. I'm your Grandma. I'm going to spoil you silly my sweet girl!" She slowly rocked the child, who was squirming slightly in her swaddle.

Troy quickly inspected Rosie with his hand. She appeared content, just spreading her limbs a little. "She was born at 8:27pm, 6 ½ lbs, 19 inches long. Completely perfect." He smiled down, feeling like the proudest father. Rosie mouth rooted, her eyes remaining closed.

"Has she eaten?" Lucille asked, recognizing the sign of a hungry baby.

Troy nodded. "Gabi nursed her right away. She'll probably need to eat again in an hour-ish." Then he turned his attention back to the baby he was still holding.

Jack stepped forward in anticipation. "And who's this little one?" He asked, reaching his arms out eagerly.

Troy grinned, carefully placing the tiny baby in his father's big arms. "This," he said quietly, "is Charlotte Jane. Born at 8:59pm, 6lbs, 18 ½ inches. Also perfect." He paused for his father's reaction.

Jack's eyes grew wide and he looked down at his granddaughter. "Charlotte?" he whispered, a few tears running down his cheek. "Wow, Troy," he paused, "that..that sure means a lot."

Charlotte had been Jack's mother's name – Troy's Nana – who had passed away several years ago. When Troy and Gabriella found out they were expecting two girls, there was no hesitation between the two of them to name them after their own beloved grandmothers.

"So wonderful," Lucille whispered, enamored by the two babies she had just been blessed with. Then, looking up, she suddenly asked with great worry, "how is Gabriella?! Troy Bolton, we both nearly had heart attacks waiting for an update!"

"I was a little busy in there, Mom," Troy reminded her, rubbing her back. "Gabriella is good, though, he assured them. "She had a rough go of it the last few hours but she did amazingly and got through it completely naturally. She's sleeping right now. Dr. Ludaks is stitching her up."

Lucille wrinkled her nose, "Oh poor thing. So she tore?"

Troy pursed his lips and nodded sadly. "This little one," he explained, cupping Charlotte's head, "shot out in two pushes. She did some damage to her poor Mommy." He leaned down and kissed her head.

"And before that," he said, rubbing his other daughter's cheek, "Rosie made her Mommy push for nearly three hours before she decided to come out."

Lucille's jaw dropped. "Jesus," she gasped quietly.

"But Gabriella's okay?" Jack asked again.

Troy nodded. "So says Ludaks. She passed out after feeding Charlotte. She was pretty out of it at the end. In fact, I should probably be getting back in there."

He saw both of his parents' shoulders slump. "Let me go see how Gabi's doing," Troy pressed. "Let me check in with the doctors and everything. I'll bring you back to the room as soon as I can."

"Okay..." Lucille reluctantly responded. She and Jack carefully placed their grand daughters back in their father's arms.

"Any word from Maria?" Troy remembered to ask as he shifted his weight around getting a comfortable grip on both babies. "P.J. got her on a flight but I haven't heard from her that she had boarded or anything."

"She did," Lucille assured him. "We talked to her. She should land first thing in the morning and she's coming straight here."

"Thank God," Troy sighed. "That's great news."

"Mmm hm." Lucille responded sarcastically.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Okay, bye Mom, bye Dad." He leaned down to kiss his mom's cheek. "See you soon, Grandma and Grandpa," he said softly, bouncing his daughters.

"Give Gabi our love," Lucille said, patting Troy's arm. "We'll be here, waiting. If you two want food or anything we're happy to make a run for you. Whatever Gabriella wants!"

Troy smiled, "thanks, guys. Really. Thank you for being here." Then he quickly turned around and headed back to his wife.

Gabriella was still sound asleep when he re-entered the room. He resumed his spot in the chair next to her bed. Dr. Ludaks was still working away on stitching Gabriella up. Troy noticed someone had pulled a blanket over Gabriella's naked top half, both giving her some modesty and keeping her warm, to which he was grateful. His eyelids suddenly became very heavy, themselves, and he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.

Dr. Ludaks looked up from her work for a moment to see Troy's eyelids fluttering. She smiled, and removed her surgical mask. "Why don't you try to get some sleep while you can, Troy," she suggested. "The number one new parent rule – sleep when babies are sleeping. Especially with twins." She motioned to the two co-sleepers that had been set up next to Gabriella's bed.

Troy sighed, knowing she was right. He stood back up and gently placed the babies in their cots, inspecting their swaddles and breathing. He took out his phone and snapped a few more pictures of the girls before collapsing on the couch next to Gabriella's bed. Before he could count to ten, he was sound asleep.

The most amazing day of their lives had come to a close, and a great adventure was about to begin.


End file.
